New England Patriots defensive end Keion White recently talked about the differences between playing for Bill Belichick and coach Jerod Mayo.
White made a positive impact in his rookie season last year, tallying 26 tackles, a sack and three pass deflections. He was part of a strong defensive rookie class, which starred Christian Gonzalez as the Patriots’ first-round draft pick.
Now, White will enter his second season with a new coach in Mayo. He will look to have a bigger role on a defensive unit that returns many of the same key contributors from last year.
White joked about the differences between the two coaches.
“We don’t got Bill cursing us out every play anymore, but it’s still pretty similar,” White said, via Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith. “…I miss it. I like Bill. He’s my type of coach, like a hard-ass. I like that. I respond well to things like that.
“But Mayo’s done a pretty good job, too. It’s all different. Mayo’s doing a really good job of staying true to himself, not trying to fill somebody else’s shoes, but create his own path, and I really respect that.”
There’s hope that the defense won’t skip a beat with Mayo as the head coach. White could play a key role in his second year for a Patriots team that will likely need to lean on that unit to win games.
