MICHAEL Maguire was interested in extending Jordan Mailata’s stay at the Rabbitohs but told him instead to pursue his dream of playing in the NFL.

An unlikely dream for the 20-year-old giant who skittled defenders in the under-20s competition last season took a step closer to reality over the weekend when he was drafted by reigning Super Bowl champions the Philadelphia Eagles.

Having never played a game of gridiron in his life it will take time before Mailata can challenge Ben Simmons as the most popular Aussie in Philly but his incredible story — not to mention his extraordinary 6-foot-8, 160-kilogram frame — has already captured the imagination of American sports commentators.

Predicting a South Pacific scouting raid if Mailata is able to make the transition, Mailata has already been tagged — somewhat predictably — the ‘Thunder from Down Under’ in the United States but faces a steep learning curve in order to make the Eagles’ final 53-man roster.

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Former Rabbitohs coach Maguire saw Mailata as having a place on South Sydney’s roster in 2018 but when informed of his interest in pursuing an NFL opportunity encouraged him to take the leap.

“Rugby league requires a mix of aerobic and anaerobic fitness — attack, defend, get back the 10 metres and so on — and that’s not easy when you’re running around at his size,” Maguire told Players Voice.

Jordan Mailata is swamped by Eagles fans after being picked up in the draft by the reigning Superbowl champions. Photo: Jae S. Lee Source: AP

“The club was interested in signing him for another season but, right around the time those conversations would have kicked off, his agent informed us that he was thinking of taking him to the States for a crack at American football.

“‘You’d be mad if you didn’t,’ I told him. It just made sense.

“I’ve been lucky enough through the years to spend a bit of time around NFL teams including the New York Giants and Jets, the Eagles, the Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons.

“I’ve seen the type of athletes that thrive in that sport. Jordan ticks a lot of those boxes.

“He’s huge, obviously, but he’s also explosive out of the blocks and agile for a man his size.

“I’ve heard the time he clocked for the 40-yard dash would have put him in the top five players in his position at the NFL Combine.

“Whereas the repeat efforts required in rugby league weren’t suited to a bloke of his genetics, the explosiveness needed in the NFL definitely is.

“You don’t have to burn as much energy over long periods of time. It’s short bursts of maximum effort.

“That’s a great match for him.”

Arriving at Redfern for the 2017 pre-season weighing in at 166 kilograms, Mailata played 12 games for the Rabbitohs in the under-20s and made an instant impression on Maguire.

“I’ll never forget the moment I first laid eyes on him,” Maguire said.

“One of our recruitment officers had spotted him at Canterbury and had brought him in for a chat.

“He was still a teenager — and nowhere near first grade at the time — but the advice was to take a look at him and see how he went at training.

“He was at one end of the corridor and I was at the other.

“I’d never seen anything like it.

“He was enormous: 6-foot-8 and 166 kilos. As we walked towards each other, he kept getting bigger and bigger until you felt he was pretty much going to fill the entire space.

“I reckon he’s still the largest bloke I’ve come across in rugby league.

“He never shirked the hard work and, before long, the weight started dropping off him.

“Over the next few months, he was always at the gym early. I got to work early, too, and I’d see Jordan on the bike, or on the rower or getting smashed by one of the trainers.

“He’s worked bloody hard to get to this point.

“Once he gets his head around the rules and the strategies of American football, I see no reason at all why he can’t succeed in the NFL.

“It would be one of the great transformations by an athlete from this country.”

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