Jerod Mayo was one of the more dependable New England Patriots linebackers during his playing days.
No one knows that better than his former teammates, Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman. During an episode of “Games with Names,” Gronkowski and Edelman talked about the one thing that set Mayo apart from everyone else.
Gronkowski even went as far as calling him the “Tom Brady” of the defense.
“Jerod Mayo was just a phenomenon, on the football field with lining everyone up, and also in the meeting rooms as well,” said Gronkowski. “He knew where every player needed to be during any situation that occurred on the defensive side of the ball.
“I mean, he knew how to read offenses. He knew when to call out plays, and he was always correct when he called a play out, or else he was just making the whole defense aware of when that play was going to be called. …Jerod Mayo was the Tom Brady on the defensive side of the ball, getting everyone lined up.”
Gronk called Jerod Mayo “the Tom Brady on the #Patriots defensive side of the ball” while explaining what made Mayo such a great player (and eventual coach) pic.twitter.com/t467U2Sjy4
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) June 26, 2024
Mayo finished his career with 102 tackles, 11 sacks, 19 past deflections and three interceptions. He was able to do it all for the Patriots’ linebacker group, as they remained one of the top defenses in the NFL.
That success did not happen by accident, as Gronkowski attested to. If anything, Mayo’s intelligence as a player was an early indication he’d have a future in coaching.
We’ll now get to see how far that knowledge can take Mayo and the Patriots in his first year as a head coach. He will be facing an uphill battle with a new-look offense and one of the hardest schedules in the NFL.
Yet, if everything comes together in training camp and the regular season, this Patriots team could have a lot of potential.
