Jason Kelce, the former Philadelphia Eagles center, is making waves at the 2024 Paris Olympics. This is not for his football skills but for his enthusiastic support of Team USA’s women’s rugby squad. This unexpected alliance brings to mind another Eagle with rugby roots – Jordan Mailata, the left tackle who traded Australian rugby for NFL stardom.

Kelce’s Olympic adventure started with a visit to the rugby team’s locker room after their victory against Brazil on July 28. The 36-year-old, still sporting his French beret, found himself on the receiving end of a unique sales pitch from star player Ilona Maher. “Women’s water polo has Flavor Flav as their superfan,” Maher quipped as per PEOPLE.

“You are a girl dad.” She didn’t sugarcoat the deal, adding with a laugh, “Do you get anything from being our superfan? No. There’s no reward, no money, no benefits, I don’t think I can get you free stuff.” Kelce, known for his quick wit, stroked his beard in mock contemplation before declaring, “I am officially a fan of women’s rugby, Olympics.” The team’s reaction was electric, with screams of joy echoing through the locker room. “We got Jason Kelce!” Maher announced triumphantly.

But Kelce’s support for Team USA didn’t stop there. Earlier in the weekend, he and his wife Kylie attended the USA women’s field hockey game. Despite the team’s 4-1 loss to Argentina, the Kelces were all smiles, decked out in patriotic gear. Jason’s reasoning for attending these events was simple yet profound. “We love sports, we love competition, we love world events,” he told the Associated Press. “This is such a unique place where the entire world gets to come together and bond over competition and sports.” Kylie, a former field hockey player herself, reshared a story by Ashley Sessa, captioning it “Loved cheering on these ladies.” Jason’s blue beret matched his “USA” T-shirt, showcasing his all-out support.

“I would say I’ve always wanted to come and see (an) Olympic games,” Kylie told The Associated Press. “When they qualified to come to Paris, I was like, that kind of makes sense… We’re happy to be here.”

Kelce’s Olympic journey took an unexpected turn when he found himself in an arm wrestling match with Rugby Olympian Nicole Heavirland. The friendly competition, captured on Instagram by newheightshow, showed Kelce’s playful side – and his competitive streak. In the clip, Kelce can be seen grabbing onto the edge of the surface they were wrestling on, prompting the cheeky caption, “If you ain’t cheating you ain’t trying 😂.”

Not one to back down, Kelce defended his tactics with a tweet: “Grabbing something with your hand is not against any rules according to the guidelines set forth by the IFAW (INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF ARM WRESTLING).” This light-hearted moment showcased the camaraderie between athletes from different sports, bridging the gap between football and rugby.

Jordan Mailata to uphold the winning culture set by Jason Kelce

While Kelce was busy charming the rugby world, his former teammate Jordan Mailata was reflecting on his own journey from rugby to the NFL. The 27-year-old left tackle, who recently signed a three-year, $66 million contract extension with the Eagles, has come a long way from his days playing club rugby in Bankstown, New South Wales.

Interestingly, Kelce had shared his brutally honest first impression of Mailata back in May. “If I’m being honest he looked absolutely terrible,” Kelce wrote on X/Twitter. “But, he looked terrible because he had never played. The size and athleticism was obviously there, it was just a question of if it was going to click for him down the road with the techniques and fundamentals.”

Despite this rocky start, Mailata has developed into one of the top tackles in the league. Last season, he conceded just three sacks on 687 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus. He was one of six starting tackles who allowed three or fewer.

Now, with Kelce’s retirement, Mailata is stepping up to uphold the standard set by his predecessor. After a recent practice where the offensive line committed three false-start penalties, Mailata and Cam Jurgens organized a series of sprints as self-imposed discipline.

“We have to have that same mentality of holding each other accountable,” Mailata said to the Philadelphia Inquirer . “It’s just simple stuff at the line. Communication. Echoing the cadence. Making sure you’re echoing the calls. That’s the stuff we can control. Some of the guys may not like it, but it’s too damn bad. Again, we’re trying to build a winning culture here.”

This commitment to excellence is a direct reflection of Kelce’s influence. As Mailata put it, “I think any time we do something like that, it’s just from everything that I learned from Jason. Maintaining the standard. When something’s not good enough, we’ve got to correct it.”

From Kelce’s playful antics at the Olympics to Mailata’s dedication to upholding his legacy, the spirit of teamwork and excellence continues to thrive in Philadelphia’s offensive line, on and off the field.