Patriots fans have been told that Jerod Mayo is an important member of the coaching staff. They know players respect him, and that team owner Robert Kraft made re-signing the former Patriots linebacker a top priority this offseason. Bill Belichick obviously thinks highly of Mayo, too.
But what does Mayo do behind the scenes that makes him so integral to New England’s defense? Defensive lineman Lawrence Guy offered insight from a player’s perspective.
“Jerod is a good coach and he has an aspiration of trying to get better,” Guy said during a recent appearance on NBC Sports Boston’s “Next Pats” podcast, as transcribed by Pats Pulpit. “Coming from a former player, he gets it — been on the field, put the hand in the dirt, and understands from both sides now, he has to be coming in with words to inspire people and to uplift them. ‘This is what we have to do. When I was a player, this is how we did it. Make these calls, you can try this. This is going to be your failure, this is going to be your success.’ “
Guy reiterated that strong communication is one of Mayo’s greatest qualities.
“You can see what he does for the team,” Guy said. “He talks with us every day, regardless of role, making sure we understand what we have to do. And he allows us to speak our words: ‘What are your thoughts? I want you vocal.’ That’s the thing about him: You can’t sit there and retain, retain, retain. You’re going to have questions, so he wants you to be vocal enough to understand what’s going on. What are your concerns? How can we fix it? And if we can’t do anything, this is what’s going to hurt us on it, so make sure this doesn’t happen.”
Mayo entered the offseason without a contract; his future in New England was uncertain. But the Patriots made a concerted effort toward keeping him around, and, although nothing has been made official, Mayo clearly will be on the coaching staff next season. Whether he will be named defensive coordinator or keep a nebulous job title remains to be seen.
Either way, Guy believes the best is yet to come for Mayo.
“I feel like we did a good job to retain him,” Guy said. “And I know he loves the city. His family’s in that city, he played in that city. I think a bright future for him is going to come, and he’s going to have so much more accomplishments in his career.”
