Jerod Mayo facts for kids
Mayo with the New England Patriots in 2009
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| No. 51 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | February 23, 1986 Hampton, Virginia, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 250 lb (113 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Kecoughtan (Hampton) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Tennessee (2004–2007) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| As coach: | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Head coaching record | |||||||||||||
| Regular season: | 4–13 (.235) | ||||||||||||
| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
| Coaching stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Jerod Mayo Sr. (born February 23, 1986) is an American football coach and former linebacker. He played for eight seasons with the New England Patriots in the National Football League (NFL). Later, he became the head coach for the Patriots in 2024.
Mayo played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers. He earned first-team All-SEC honors there. The Patriots chose him as the 10th overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft. As a player, Mayo was named Defensive Rookie of the Year. He also led the league in tackles in 2010, earning first-team All-Pro honors. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl twice. After retiring as a player, Mayo returned to the Patriots as an inside linebackers coach from 2019 to 2023. In 2024, he became the team's head coach.
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Early Life and High School Football
Jerod Mayo was born in Hampton, Virginia. He went to Kecoughtan High School in Hampton. There, he played football as a linebacker and a running back. He earned three varsity letters for his skills.
In his senior year, Mayo made 110 tackles and had two interceptions. He also played running back for seven games. He ran for 1,245 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. As a junior, he had 68 tackles, four interceptions, and three sacks. He was recognized with All-District, All-Area, and All-Region honors.
Experts like Rivals.com thought Mayo was a top player. They ranked him eleventh among outside linebackers in the country. He chose to play for Tennessee over other big schools. Jerod's younger brother, Deron Mayo, also played linebacker in the Canadian Football League.
College Career at Tennessee
Jerod Mayo played for the Tennessee Volunteers football team at the University of Tennessee from 2004 to 2007. In 2004, he took a "redshirt" year, which means he practiced with the team but didn't play in games to save a year of eligibility.
In 2005, he played in six games. He made 13 tackles. In 2006, he became a starter as a sophomore. He played in 11 games and finished with 83 tackles. He also had five sacks. Rivals.com named him to their All-American second-team.
For his junior season in 2007, Mayo became the middle linebacker and a co-captain. He made 140 tackles, which was the most by a Tennessee defender since 1990. He also had an interception that he returned 34 yards for a touchdown. Mayo was chosen for the first-team All-Southeastern Conference.
Professional Football Career
Becoming an NFL Player
Jerod Mayo was seen as one of the best linebackers in the 2008 NFL draft. Experts compared him to other great players. The New England Patriots picked Mayo in the first round as the 10th overall choice. He was the second linebacker chosen that year.
On July 24, 2008, Mayo signed a five-year contract with the Patriots. It was worth $18.9 million. Mayo was the only rookie on the Patriots to start in Week 1. He played every defensive play in that game.
Early Success and Awards
Mayo was named the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Month in October 2008. He led the Patriots with 24 tackles that month. In a game against the New York Jets, he had 20 tackles, which was a career high at the time.
At the end of the 2008 season, Mayo had 128 total tackles. He was named the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. He received almost all the votes for the award.
Key Seasons and Injuries
In 2009, Mayo got injured in the first game but returned quickly. He finished the season with 103 tackles.
In 2010, Mayo became a defensive captain. He had many games with a high number of tackles. He ended the season leading the entire league with 175 tackles. He also had two sacks. He was chosen for the 2011 Pro Bowl and the 2010 All-Pro team. In December 2011, he signed a new five-year contract with the Patriots.
In 2011, Mayo missed three games due to injuries but still made over 100 tackles. He and the Patriots reached Super Bowl XLVI. Mayo had 11 tackles in the game, but the Patriots lost to the New York Giants.
For the 2012 season, Mayo was voted a defensive co-captain for the fourth year in a row. He was also selected for the 2013 Pro Bowl because of his great performance.
Mayo faced tough injuries in later seasons. In 2013, he tore a pectoral muscle and was placed on injured reserve. In 2014, he tore a patellar tendon in his knee. Even without Mayo, the Patriots won Super Bowl XLIX that season.
In his final season in 2015, Mayo's playing time decreased. He was placed on injured reserve again with a shoulder injury. On February 16, 2016, Jerod Mayo announced his retirement from football. He thanked the Patriots for his eight years with the team.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won the Super Bowl | |
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular Season Stats
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Fumbles | Interceptions | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | FF | FR | Yds | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | PD | ||
| 2008 | NE | 16 | 16 | 128 | 100 | 28 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2009 | NE | 13 | 12 | 103 | 70 | 33 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2010 | NE | 16 | 16 | 174 | 113 | 61 | 2.0 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 2011 | NE | 14 | 13 | 95 | 58 | 37 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 2012 | NE | 16 | 16 | 147 | 88 | 59 | 3.0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2013 | NE | 6 | 6 | 55 | 35 | 20 | 1.5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2014 | NE | 6 | 6 | 53 | 37 | 16 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | NE | 16 | 8 | 47 | 35 | 12 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Career | 103 | 93 | 802 | 536 | 266 | 11.0 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 19 | |
Postseason Stats
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Fumbles | Interceptions | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | FF | FR | Yds | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | PD | ||
| 2009 | NE | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| 2010 | NE | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| 2011 | NE | 3 | 3 | 28 | 13 | 15 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| 2012 | NE | 2 | 2 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| 2013 | NE | 0 | 0 | did not play due to injury | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | NE | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||
| 2015 | NE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Career | 8 | 7 | 57 | 30 | 27 | 0.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
Coaching Career
On March 27, 2019, Jerod Mayo was hired by the Patriots as their inside linebackers coach.
On January 12, 2024, the Patriots announced Mayo as their 15th head coach. He became the first Black head coach in the team's history. He was also the youngest head coach in the NFL for a short time.
Mayo's Patriots team had a tough 2024 season. They finished with a record of 4 wins and 13 losses. On January 5, 2025, the Patriots announced that Mayo would not return as head coach for the next season. This made him the second Patriots coach to be fired after only one season. The team then hired Mike Vrabel as their new head coach.
Head Coaching Record
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| NE | 2024 | 4 | 13 | 0 | .235 | 4th in AFC East | — | — | — | — |
| Total | 4 | 13 | 0 | .235 | 0 | 0 | .000 | |||
Personal Life
Jerod Mayo is married to Chantel Mayo. They have three daughters and one son. They live in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. Mayo is a Christian.
Mayo has four brothers and two sisters. Two of his brothers also played linebacker. His younger brother, Deron Mayo, played in the Canadian Football League. He is now the head strength and conditioning coach for the New England Patriots. His brother Derek Mayo played college football and won a championship in 2008.
Mayo also had a small role in the 2012 movie The Three Stooges. He appeared alongside former Patriots player Troy Brown.
