Jerod Mayo instantly changed the energy as a player's coach upon being named the head coach of the New England Patriots after the 2023 season.
From instilling his own culture at the top to developing young talent that will be responsible for driving the rebuild, the former Patriots linebacker has plenty to tackle in his first season at the helm in Foxboro.
Mayo opened up about his first few months on the job when he joined Patriots defensive tackle Davon Godchaux on the "ChauxTalk" show on Wednesday.
"It was like drinking from a fire hydrant," Mayo shared. "Over the last couple of months, it's been going the way that I thought it would. Now it saying that, I have a lot to learn. Each week is its own week. That's my focus going forward."
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Mayo looks into the start of the season hoping to spread existing culture from defense with key veterans like Godchaux and others across the entire Patriots roster.
"I think with this generation of players, first showing the individual you care about their growth and development, before anything else," Mayo explained. "We're all competent as far as X's and O's are concerned. We've all had coaches we'd run through a brick wall for. We've also had that coaches where it's like, 'Forget that.' That's always the balance. When you talk about trying to change a culture, it takes time. Really, your culture becomes what you reward."
Mayo's group makes its first appearance when the Patriots start the season on Sunday in Cincinnati against the Bengals.
Featured image via Eric Canha/USA TODAY Sports Images