While Jordan Mailata’s Super Bowl LVII victory with the Philadelphia Eagles is a huge occasion for Australian sport, he is not the first Aussie to earn a Super Bowl ring as some have claimed.
That honour belongs to Jesse Williams, a defensive tackle who won Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014, despite not playing in the game itself due to a heartbreaking battle with cancer.
Williams’ journey to the NFL was just as incredible as Mailata’s.
Growing up in Queensland, he excelled in rugby league before transitioning to gridiron.
His talent earned him a scholarship to the University of Alabama, where he became a standout defensive tackle and a two-time BCS National Champion.
In 2013, Williams was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks, a dream come true for the young Aussie.
Jesse ‘The Monstar’ Williams stormed into the NFL after impressing at a rookie camp in 2014
Williams was part of the Seattle Seahawks 2014 NFL-winning squad, earning a Super Bowl ring even though he did not play in the final match of the season
Cancer cruelly ended Williams’ career prematurely, waived by the Seahawks in 2016
However, his NFL career was plagued by injuries. A knee injury sidelined him for his entire rookie season, but the Seahawks’ Super Bowl victory that year meant Williams became the first Australian to own a Super Bowl ring.
Tragically, Williams’ career took another devastating turn.
Between his second and third seasons with the Seahawks, he was diagnosed with papillary type 2 cancer.
Despite undergoing surgery to remove a kidney, his NFL career was ultimately cut short. He was waived by the Seahawks in 2016.
While his career was tragically short, Williams has no regrets.
‘Whatever happened to me I couldn’t have prevented,’ Williams said previously.
‘When I did my knee, when I got cancer… I was healthiest in my life when I got hit with it. What I focus on now is what I can do into the future.
‘I have a few mentors in Alabama, so I just put my skills and the stuff I learnt at university to use.’
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‘I wanted to bridge the gap for kids in Australia to come over, play US Sports, bring them over and get an education. It would be an injustice for me not to share my journey and help make a pathway for others.’
Williams previously praised Mailata for making the jump to the NFL, but warned he had a tough ᴀssignment ahead of him.
‘Congrats to him to be able to make the jump and make the most of his opportunities, but I think he’s got his work cut out for him,’ the former Seattle Seahawk defensive tackle said.
‘I’m not saying he can’t do it. I definitely think with his size, his measurables, I think he’s in a good place to make the practice squad and get further developed with a good coach.
‘But it just depends on the dynamics of the team and their roster numbers and whether they can take the risk vs reward for them. I wish him nothing but success.’
These days Williams is working on helping other young Aussies realise their NFL dreams.
‘A lot of the kids that are coming up now they have so much more opportunity, but they’re kind of focusing on the wrong stuff,’ Williams said.
‘I want to provide an example for them. I’m extremely pᴀssionate about coaching, mentoring and personal development for myself as well as others.’
