Jerod Mayo

Jerod Mayo Sr. (born February 23, 1986) is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL).

He previously played with the Patriots for eight seasons.

While attending the University of Tennessee, Mayo played for the Tennessee Volunteers football team from 2004 to 2007.

After redshirting the 2004 season, he appeared in six games at weak-side outside linebacker in 2005, finishing with 13 tackles (10 solo).

Mayo made the Volunteers starting lineup as a redshirt sophomore in 2006, as he started 11 contests at weak-side outside linebacker.

He finished third on the team with 83 tackles (48 solos), including five sacks for minus 40 yards, 12.5 stops for losses of 51 yards and a quarterback pressure.

He also recovered one fumble and deflected a pass.

Rivals.com subsequently named him to their All-American second-team.

For his junior season, Mayo moved to middle linebacker and started all 14 games.

Serving as the defensive squad's co-captain, he went on to register 140 tackles in 2007, the most by a Tennessee defender since Earnest Fields registered those same totals for the Volunteers in 1990.

He added 1.5 quarterback sacks for minus 11 yards, 8.5 stops for losses and five quarterback pressures, and also returned an interception 34 yards for a touchdown.

Mayo was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection and also earned All-American second-team honors by The NFL Draft Report.

Mayo played college football at the University of Tennessee and was selected by the Patriots 10th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Mayo was considered one of the best linebackers available in the 2008 NFL Draft and drew comparisons to Will Witherspoon.

Sporting News described Mayo as a “perfect fit to play one of the inside spots” in a 3-4 defense.

The New England Patriots selected Mayo in the first round (10th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft.

Mayo was the second linebacker drafted in 2008, behind Keith Rivers.

On July 24, 2008, the New England Patriots signed Mayo to a five-year contract (rather than the six-year maximum allowed by the NFL's collective bargaining agreement) worth $18.9 million, including $13.8 million in bonuses and guarantees.

Mayo was the only rookie in the Patriots' 2008 class to start in Week 1, and played every snap for the defense.

Mayo was named the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Month for October 2008.

He led the Patriots with 24 tackles for the month, including 11 against the Denver Broncos in his first Monday Night Football appearance.

In the Patriots' Thursday Night Football game on November 13, 2008, against their division rivals, the New York Jets, Mayo led all defensive players with 20 tackles (16 solo, 4 assisted), the first 20-tackle game of his career.

At the end of the 2008 season, in which Mayo had 128 total tackles (100 solo, 28 assists) and a forced fumble, he was named AP Defensive Rookie of the Year for 2008 in a near-unanimous vote: Mayo received 49 of 50 votes cast, with Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers receiving the other vote.

Mayo was injured in the Patriots' 2009 season opener against the Buffalo Bills.

The sprained MCL in his knee was originally expected to keep him out 6–8 weeks, but he returned in Week 5 against the Denver Broncos.

Mayo finished the 2009 season with 103 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

He was named Defensive Rookie of the Year, earned Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors in 2010 after leading the league in tackles, and received a second Pro Bowl selection in 2012.

In 2010, Mayo was named a defensive captain.

In Week 4 against the Miami Dolphins, Mayo recorded 16 tackles, and two weeks later notched 18 tackles in an overtime win over the Baltimore Ravens.

In Week 8, Mayo recorded 14 tackles in a win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 11, Mayo recorded 15 tackles in a win.

Mayo rejoined the Patriots as an assistant coach in 2019 and succeeded Bill Belichick as head coach in 2024.

Mayo was born in Hampton, Virginia.

He attended Kecoughtan High School in Hampton, where he earned three letters in football as a linebacker and a running back.

As a senior, Mayo recorded 110 tackles, including 18 for loss, and two interceptions.

Also playing running back for seven games, he picked up 1,245 rushing yards and scored 13 touchdowns and five two-point conversions during his final campaign.

As a junior, he recorded 68 tackles including 22 for loss, four interceptions and three sacks and earned first-team All-District, All-Area and All-Region honors.

Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Mayo ranked eleventh among outside linebackers nationwide.

He chose Tennessee over North Carolina State, Purdue, Virginia, and Virginia Tech.

Jerod's younger brother, Deron Mayo, was a linebacker for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League.