Update: Jerod Mayo’s Path to Head Coach: A Chronicle of Patriots Greats…
When the Patriots faced the Baltimore Ravens in an instant classic during the 2014 divisional round of the playoffs, the Brady-Belichick era was at its height.
The top-seeded Patriots were facing a formidable opponent in Baltimore, who had twice taken leads of 14 points. The Patriots overcame two double-digit deficits thanks to quarterback Tom Brady’s brilliance, an infrequently utilized ineligible receiver trick, and a double-pass with receiver Julian Edelman that found Danny Amendola for a 51-yard score.
The game-winning touchdown was delivered by the hall of fame quarterback to Brandon LaFell in a picture-perfect touchdown pass, as was customary. Brady claims this pass is in his top ten career touchdown passes.
Even though the Patriots advanced to their fourth consecutive AFC Championship Game because to Brady’s late-game heroics and Belichick’s astute strategies, Jerod Mayo’s coaching career began on the sidelines of that historic victory.
Three months prior, during a victory over the Bills, Mayo sustained a serious knee injury that ended his season. The Patriots linebacker, who was chosen by New England in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft, only played in six games during his seventh season. Still, he was providing an extra pair of eyes for an elite defense, which benefited his teammates.
Mayo developed a closer bond with Steve Belichick, his coaching assistant at the time, throughout his rehabilitation. As the two scouted potential opponents, Mayo would analyze tape to assist Belichick with special initiatives. With a Microsoft Surface tablet in hand, Mayo demonstrated to his teammates how the Ravens were assaulting the Patriots run defense on that thrilling Saturday night.
“That was the balance of keeping it light and keeping guys ready to go. But also the Xs and Os and the player type and understanding the game can get you from both sides. I think that fully embodies who Jerod is,” franchise legend Devin McCourty said to Patriots.com. “I remember being in the Baltimore game in 2014, when he got hurt. He’s just coming up to us non-stop with the Surface [tablet] showing us what’s going on in the game, how Baltimore was kind of doing some things against us in the run game.”
Mayo was named the 15th head coach of the Patriots by Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft, nine years after New England’s 2014 drive to a fourth Super Bowl triumph. A succession plan from Bill Belichick years in the making, the heir to the greatest coach of all time earned the position as the youngest head coach in the NFL at the moment (37) and without the club interviewing a single other applicant.
It was no surprise to those closest to Mayo that he worked his way up to head coach in the Patriots organization.
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