How do you replace a legend like Bill Belichick?
The answer is: You probably can’t.
But if you’re the New England Patriots, you can hire a former player like Jerod Mayo who performed under Belichick and who then coached with the all-time great.
That’s what will reportedly happen, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who says he’ll be introduced next week. This happened about 24 hours after news broke that Belichick was out in New England.
With all of that, it’s time to get to know Mayo if you don’t know about him. Here are a few facts about the former NFL player who will now take over the Patriots:
1
He was a first-round pick -- 10th overall -- selected by the Patriots in 2008
He came out Tennessee, where he was terrific, flashing All-SEC first-team skills.
2
He played eight seasons in the NFL as a linebacker, all for the Patriots
He was a starter from the first week he played in the regular season, with praise for being more like a veteran than a rookie.
3
After retiring in 2016, he was hired as a Patriots coach in 2019
He eventually worked his way up to Linebackers coach, and here we are.
4
Why he's so popular in New England? He's a "players' coach"
From the Portland Press Herald:
“Two words I would use to honestly describe him – players’ coach,” linebacker Mack Wilson said. “Defensively when he talks and is in front of the room, everybody listens. Everybody’s locked in. It’s hard to explain, you’d have to be a player to see, but he’s a great coach overall. I feel like his time is coming.”
“Players’ coach,” defensive back Jalen Mills agreed. “Coached to play ball at a very high level. You can have those side conversations with him. He can have them back with you because he can relate.” …
“He’s a players coach. Fiery, fun guy,” safety Jabrill Peppers said. “Very playful, but when it’s time to work, it’s time to work. I think the combination of both goes a long way because at times it gets a little strenuous. It does get a little monotonous, so having a guy who can come in there and ease the tension but at the same time, he demands a standard from you. When you don’t play up to that standard, he’s going to let you know.”
5
Here's what his pitch is
“I think all the players know that I’m competent, as far as X’s and O’s and things like that. But it’s always warmth before competence, right? The person has to know that you really care about him, before you really start to explain X’s and O’s,” Mayo said recently on a video conference call. “I think they understand that I care about them as men as individuals, first and foremost. And then we’ll get to the football thing, and hopefully win a bunch of games. So that’s just my approach.”
