Jordan Petaia’s NFL dream is one he shared with his late father.
Seiuli Salatielu Petaia, who tragically passed away from a heart attack in 2020, used to let his son take the day off school to watch the Super Bowl. After inking a three-year contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, via the NFL’s international player pathway program, Petaia is a step closer to his ambition of one day playing in the sport’s showpiece event.
“The tipping point for me came down to the constant voice in the back of my head saying ‘give it a crack’,” Petaia told this masthead.
“Me and my old man were quite close and he passed away in Covid. He always emphasised for me to have a go. We always spoke about it quite openly and jokingly when I first started playing rugby, that this was a pathway that is available now, that ‘If you ever get the opportunity, son, you should give it a go’.
“As much as it was my own voice inside my head, there’s him talking to me as well, telling me to go ahead and give it everything you’ve got.
“At the end of the day when I saw the pathways opportunity, I decided it was something I had to take with both hands. I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t.
Jordan Petaia has signed with the LA Chargers.Credit: Getty
“His face and voice popped straight into my head. I’ve still got a long way to go, I’ve got plenty of work to do and this is just the start.
“I’m keen to carry on our dream.”
At the age of 25, and with 31 Wallabies caps to his credit, Petaia walked away from rugby union at the peak of his powers. There was the lure of the upcoming British and Irish Lions tour and a Wallabies World Cup campaign on home soil. There was also NRL interest; the Dragons and Broncos were keen for the Queensland Reds star to make a very different cross-code switch.
However, the chance to follow in the footsteps of Jordan Mailata – who turned his back in rugby league to earn a $100 million contract with Philadelphia and become the first Australian to make the field of play in a Super Bowl-winning side – was too good to refuse.
Jordan Mailata after the Eagles’ victory in the Super Bowl.Credit: AP
“Definitely, I saw him go over, I followed his journey quite closely,” Petaia said.
“I was sitting in my car one day going to training, listening to him on a podcast with the Kelce brothers [NFL superstars Travis and Jason].
“He was emphasising that if you’re an Aussie athlete thinking about it, give it a crack. With me already thinking about it for a while, seeing him have a crack and leaving no stone unturned, I took a lot out of that.
“It definitely inspired a lot of Aussies over here and I’m sure you’ll see a lot more to go and pursue their dream.”
So too did the journeys of league stars Valentine Holmes and Jarryd Hayne. The latter made eight appearances for San Francisco in 2015.
“Definitely, I tracked both of them,” Petaia said.
“I was still in high school, but what they did meant young kids in Australia look at it and think ‘There’s an opportunity there’.
“They definitely inspired guys over here, 100 per cent.”
Petaia’s athleticism – he completed the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds and had a 40.5-inch vertical jump – caught the attention of several clubs at the NFL combine. The Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons were keen on his signature, but ultimately the Chargers were deemed the best fit. The former Wallaby will train to become a tight end, a position that is a hybrid between a receiver and an offensive lineman. One of the NFL’s best tight ends is three-time Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce, who plays for the Chiefs.
While Kelce is among the game’s highest earners, Petaia’s starting salary will be $US250,000 ($400,000) per annum, which will skyrocket to a minimum $US1 million, plus bonuses, if he makes the Chargers’ 53-man squad.
“It’s been in the works for a while,” Petaia said of his code switch.
“I’ve been with the Reds and Wallabies for seven years. It was a big decision, something I thought about a lot. Just with how it ticked in the back of my brain for all of these years, since I first started my pro rugby career, it’s always lingered there.
“I’ve always been a fan of the game since I was young. With other guys going to the IPP system before me, I would have regretted it if I didn’t take the opportunity to go over, have a crack and pursue my dream.
“I’m happy I did that and made the choice to go over. The opportunity presented itself and I’ll pursue it with all I’ve got.”
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