Jerod Mayo has officially been named Bill Belichick's successor and the coach of the New England Patriots. The former Patriots linebacker learned from Belichick as a player and later as a member of the coaching staff.
Per reports, New England had already established a firm contractual succession plan in a prior contract and communicated it to the league.
In this article, we look at Mayo's playing career, coaching career and everything else you need to know about the future Patriots' numero uno.
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Jerod Mayo's playing career
Jerod Mayo was a star linebacker at the University of Tennessee. Mayo enjoyed four successful seasons with the Volunteers' football team. At the end of his final year of eligibility, he earned All-American second-team honors from the NFL Draft Report and was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection.
His achievements in college intrigued the Patriots, and Mayo was drafted as a first-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played for the New England Patriots for eight seasons, during which he earned two Pro Bowl selections, won the 2008 Defensive Rookie of the Year award, earned a first-team All-Pro nod.
Mayo was the 2010 NFL tackles leader and won Super Bowl XLIX with the franchise. After dealing with lingering injury issues, he retired from professional football at the end of the 2015 season.
Jerod Mayo's coaching career
As a player, Jerod Mayo was regarded for his work ethic. The University of Tennessee alum was known to show up early, stay late, watch film, practice hard and put himself through intense workouts in the franchise's weight room.
Hence, it wasn't surprising that four years after his retirement as a player, Mayo was added to the coaching staff to be their inside linebackers coach. Mayo has been in the role since 2019 and has learned the ropes from arguably the greatest defensive-minded coach in NFL history, Bill Belichick.
If Mayo is appointed as the coach, expect "The Patriot Way" to remain and the franchise to get a modern version of the most successful coach in NFL history.
Off the gridiron, Jerod Mayo is happily married to his wife, Chantel Mayo. The couple has three daughters and a son. The Mayos reside in North Attleborough, Massachusetts.
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