Eagles Q&A: Jordan Mailata shares his love of music

Each week during the 2024 season, we’re going through the Eagles media guide to find an interesting nugget.

The Eagles’ PR interns do a great job filling out these little oddities in the media guide and they serve as a good way to meet the players behind the helmets.

This week we chatted with left tackle Jordan Mailata about his love of music.

Me: We haven’t chatted about music in a while. What’s it been like? You’ve gotten to explore music here a lot.

Mailata: Yeah, I’ve had a lot of chances to explore music, like you said. I think I’ve always liked everything but I think recently, since I’ve come here, it’s been more country-inspired, country-influenced. It doesn’t help that 70% of the O-line room is from the south and that’s what they listen to. It doesn’t matter what they look like or where they came from, they all listen to that. In general, I’ve always been into country but here the country influence has always been there.

Me: What kind of stuff have you been listening to, country-wise?

Mailata: Um, a lot of Luke Combs. And Lane has been showing me a lot of old stuff.

Me: Oh cool.

Mailata: Which is kind of nice because it’s so different than nowadays music, which is almost like pop-ish. That’s been really nice. I think, for me, myself, with the opportunities I’ve had to sing, I haven’t taken the moment to really carve something out.

Me: Yeah, that’s interesting.

Mailata: I think I’m just living in the moment.

Me: Have you thought about that in the future?

Mailata: Nope. I know it’s going to be there. Just because of all the stuff I’m doing, still keeping it sharp, playing my guitar. Music is always going to be a part of my life. I haven’t really given it too much thought because I think there’s enough time for that later on. You always hear about the Jelly Rolls, the guys that make it later on. I’m not saying I’m going to make it.

Me: Have you been surprised how many opportunities you’ve gotten? I’m sure you were singularly focused on football but then all these other things popped up.

Mailata: Yeah, if the opportunity came, just be in the moment because being a football player gave me that opportunity so why not take advantage of it. At the same time, you network, build a portfolio.

Me: It’s given you all these avenues. It’s pretty cool.

Mailata: Yeah, I’ve met so many people just from the opportunities, seriously. I’m pretty lucky. Pretty blessed.

Me: Say you’re driving in your car, what are you listening to these days?

Mailata: I’ll be honest. Listening to podcasts. Because I can’t really listen to country in the winter. So I listen to a bunch of podcasts and music shorts.

Me: How about pre-game?

Mailata: Pre-game? Speech. I listen to a speech now. It gets me going.

Me: No music?

Mailata: No music. Words. In the warmup, I listen to almost like house music to keep me focused. High beats. I have to do some scientific research why it gets me focused.

Me: I think there probably is science behind it.

Mailata: Anything else, my focus is like a bird.

Me: You playing guitar a lot still?

Mailata: Still playing a lot.

Me: Did you give up the banjo?

Mailata: I gave up the banjo, man. I might give it away to one of the guys.

Me: It’s fun that you’re able to stick with it.

Mailata: Oh yeah, it’s fun, Dave.

Note: After the Q&A, Mailata fired up the speaker next to his locker and played a Vince Gill song. Johnson introduced him to Gill recently.

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