Jordan Mailata named Eagles’ 2025 Walter Payton Man of the Year
Mailata is the Eagles' nominee for NFL Man of the Year honors, which will be announced Feb. 5 at the NFL Honors event.
Left tackle Jordan Mailata is the Eagles’ 2025 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee, the team announced Thursday.
The award recognizes players who excel on the field and make an impact off it. Mailata is one of 32 nominees (one from each team). The winner will be announced during the NFL Honors ceremony on Feb. 5 during Super Bowl week in the San Francisco area.
Since the award was established in 1970, three Eagles have won it: Harold Carmichael in 1980, Troy Vincent in 2002, and Chris Long in 2018.
“Jordan Mailata’s recognition as a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year club winner is truly well deserved and speaks to his profound impact, both on and off the field,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a news release. “One of the highest honors bestowed upon players in the National Football League, this award celebrates those who proudly represent their teams with class and dignity — all in the name of the great Walter Payton. We congratulate Jordan and thank him for always being a person of high character who leads with kindness, compassion, and integrity.”
The team also revealed how it informed Mailata of the honor earlier this week:
Mailata is a converted rugby player from Australia who was a seventh-round pick by the Eagles in 2018 and has developed into a reliable long-term starter at left tackle. Besides his run of success on the field, Mailata, a second-team All-Pro selection in 2024, has been involved in multiple charitable endeavors. Mailata and his wife, Niki, were honored at the Philadelphia Children’s Alliance’s Bear Affair this year for their ongoing support.
Mailata also supports the American Association for Cancer Research and has been involved in the Eagles Autism Foundation. Additionally, his “Jeff Stoutland University” vignette on Sunday Night Football that went viral in 2022 inspired the creation of an apparel line that has raised more than $200,000 for the foundation.
Mailata also lent his singing chops to Christmas albums with Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson that have raised more than $10 million for local charities. Last year, the trio organized Operation Snowball, a project aimed at providing a gift to every student in the Philadelphia public school system thanks to funds raised by the singing group’s third album.
The charitable beneficiary of each team’s WPMOY nominee will receive $40,000, and the nonprofit chosen by the national winner will receive $250,000. All donations are courtesy of the NFL Foundation and the Nationwide Foundation.
Mailata will wear a Man of the Year decal on his helmet for the rest of the season.