Who is Jerod Mayo?
That’s the one question outsiders have been asking ever since news broke that the former New England Patriots inside linebackers coach was replacing Bill Belichick as head coach.
Mayo isn’t the most experienced option considering he’s never served as a coordinator or head coach in the NFL. But then again, he also passed up other opportunities to stay with the Patriots, likely knowing one day he’d be the successor to the Belichick throne.
In other words, he bet on himself with the team he never wanted to leave. The Patriots drafted him out of college, and after a successful playing career, Belichick took him under his wing and taught him the ins and outs of coaching.
Here are five things to know about Mayo:
Mayo didn't attend the 2008 NFL draft
Jerod Mayo was the No. 10 overall pick of the 2008 NFL draft, and he passed up the opportunity to be in the building live to walk onstage and pose for a picture with the NFL commissioner.
Instead, he stayed back at home with his family raking leaves with his mother outside of their house. Not many young men would choose to pass up on the glitz and glamor of draft night, which is a celebration of dreams being realized after years of hard work.
Mayo is simply cut from a different cloth. He’s typically a more lowkey individual when it comes to his accomplishments.
A family draft game made Mayo stop drinking Patron
Mayo didn’t just rake leaves on the night he was drafted by the Patriots.
After helping his mother complete chores, he decided to play a drinking game with his brothers. They agreed that everyone had to take a shot of Patron every time Mayo’s name wasn’t called on the draft board.
“So one of my brothers was like, ‘All right, we’re going to do a shot every pick that goes by that you’re not picked.’ So I was like whoa! If I would have went 20th, I wouldn’t be here today,” Mayo said on “Pats from the Past” podcast, via MassLive.com. “That’s why I don’t drink Patron to this day now. Because we were drinking Patron and I was the 10th overall pick. So you do the math.”
Mayo had to be feeling really good when he got the phone call from coach Bill Belichick. It’s no surprise that he would stay away from Patron after that entire ordeal.
Jerod Mayo once made a cameo in the theatrical "The Three Stooges"
A television classic was brought to the big screen back in 2012 with “The Three Stooges” movie. Many forget that Mayo and Patriots wide receivers coach Troy Brown both had a small appearance in the movie.
Mayo isn’t afraid to put himself out there and have a little fun from time to time. That along with the fact that he’s now the youngest coach in the NFL makes him an interesting choice for the Patriots.
He’ll be up to his eyeballs working to try to turn the team around. So don’t expect anymore movie gigs for the time being.
Mayo gives off "CEO vibes"
Mayo isn’t the typical player making the transition to a coaching position. It’s important to note that he has a track record of success outside of football in the business world. He’s incredibly methodical in the way he goes about his business.
Devin McCourty predicted Mayo being the successor to Bill Belichick early last year, while also noting that the newly-hired Patriots coach gives off “CEO vibes”.
“[Mayo] has great experience of leading men,” said McCourty, when appearing on “Green Light with Chris Long”. “When he left, obviously he was a great captain for us when I was there, but then he left, got in the business world and was crushing it in the business world. Even now, if you talk to him, like I’m sure when he goes on these interviews, it’s not just like this football player or this coach coming. You get like CEO vibes from Mayo.”
Devin McCourty CALLED Jerod Mayo becoming the Patriots next coach and said you get “CEO vibes” from being around him. #Patriots pic.twitter.com/O77dOd3tc5
— Green Light with Chris Long (@greenlight) January 12, 2024
Patriots owner Robert Kraft is methodical in every team-related decision he makes. There had to be something about Mayo that thoroughly impressed him enough to be the choice as Bill Belichick’s replacement.
Mayo was 2008 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
Mayo made an impact from the moment he was drafted by the Patriots. He had a sensational rookie season with 128 tackles, four pass deflections, one fumble recovery and five tackles for a loss.
But it wasn’t just Mayo’s on-field abilities that made him an instant hit on the roster. He was also a tremendous leader of men, resulting in him eventually jumping the ranks in the locker room as a team captain.
It’s no secret that Mayo, a two-time Pro Bowler and former first-team All-Pro, showed flashes as a future coach during his playing days. Now, he’ll have an opportunity to replace an all-time great in Bill Belichick.
