Philadelphia Eagles

Chiefs quarterback Mahomes, 27, will face Philadelphia Eagles counterpart Jalen Hurts, 24, in Arizona on 12 February.

BBC reports Mahomes is a previous winner with the Chiefs having triumphed in 2020.

"To be on the world stage with two Black quarterbacks starting, I think it's special," said Mahomes.

Mahomes, who helped guide the Chiefs past the Cincinnati Bengals to reach the Super Bowl, paid tribute to former black quarterbacks including Doug Williams, who was the first to start in and win the NFL's showpiece event with the Washington franchise in 1988.

He likened it to being blindfolded, chasing a dream career in a sport that may as well have been a foreign language.

It is what makes Mailata’s rapid rise – a self-described “Hollywood movie” – all the more remarkable.

Earlier this month he was sharing the field with Tom Brady, who at 44 years old, is still breaking records and still redefining the quarterback age curve.

Mailata is doing some redefining of his own, shedding the rugby league identity of his past and forging a new one.

The Australian-Samoan athlete, who stands 203cm tall and weighs 157kg, only played his first organised American football game a month ago.

All 32 NFL teams were forced to cut their rosters from 90 players to 53 at the weekend, with the 21 year old Mailata surviving the final cull.

The former South Sydney Rabbitohs Under 20s rugby league player was selected as the 233rd overall pick in this year's NFL Draft.