Left side of Eagles’ O-line does right by each other

Left side of Eagles’ O-line does right by each other

When Landon Dickerson got married in March, Jordan Mailata was at his side, just as he is on the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive line.

“A truly, truly beautiful moment to be a part of,” Mailata said, “and I was honored to be his best man. That’s my brother.”

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Dickerson and Mailata have known each other since 2021, when Philadelphia added Dickerson in the second round of the NFL Draft. In Mailata’s second season as the Eagles’ left tackle, Dickerson became Philadelphia’s left guard.

“I think we just have personalities that go really well together,” Dickerson said as the Eagles’ offseason program was winding down. “We spend a lot of time close to each other in the locker room, on the field and outside the locker room. It’s a nice friendship. I’m not complaining. He’s an all-right dude. I like him.”

Dickerson joined Philadelphia from Alabama. Mailata came aboard from Australia in the seventh round of the 2018 draft. A rugby player, Mailata got an opportunity in football via the International Player Pathway Program.

“This profession can get kind of rough,” Dickerson said, “and we all have lives outside of this and stuff going on here. Sometimes you just need someone to talk to. His family’s 12 time zones away. Whenever he wants to talk to them, they’re sleeping, so he’s there for me and I’m there for him. It’s just a big part of why we care for each other, and we’re always going to help each other out.”

Mailata said Dickerson’s friendship had helped him deal with being half a world away from home.

“It means a lot, man,” Mailata said. “It’s tough because for me my family’s back home in Australia. They’re about 20-plus hours away, so for me, it’s all about just finding people that I can connect with here and build my circle of trust, and Landon back in 2021 – we haven’t known each other for that long – but I feel like the man knows me like the back of his hand and I know him like the back of mine, and every time we get together it’s just that quality time over quantity.

“When you spend all the hours that you spend in this building during the season, during OTAs, during training camp, you have no choice but to form relationships with the guys that you’re around, and when you do, you build on that and you connect, and then that translates to on the field, and then when you go through the struggles on the field together, when you have to execute and win games, when you don’t win games, that’s when you stick together, and Landon and I have stuck together through the last two years, and it’s been a blessing to have him.”

In 2022, Dickerson earned Pro Bowl recognition and the Eagles went to Super Bowl LVII after setting a franchise record for victories and winning the NFC championship. Dickerson said the relationship that he and Mailata share is mirrored throughout the Philadelphia roster.

“It’s not just with me and Jordan,” Dickerson said. “It’s every guy on this team. I think what really sets teams apart in the long run is how much every player cares for their teammates. And that’s just because you know when you get in those tough situations where it’s fourth-and-1 and you need a yard to win the game or those moments when you really need to count on somebody, you’re willing to go just that much more because it means something to you, it means something to the guy beside you and you’re doing it for others, not just yourself. I think that’s just a big part of what makes a good team is it’s not just a team, it’s a family.”

The Eagles are scheduled to report to training camp on July 25. Philadelphia will kick off its three-game preseason slate by visiting the Baltimore Ravens on Aug. 12.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.