Who is Jerod Mayo?
That’s the one question outsiders have been asking ever since news broke that the former New England Patriots inside linebackers coach was replacing Bill Belichick as head coach.
Mayo isn’t the most experienced option considering he’s never served as a coordinator or head coach in the NFL. But then again, he also passed up other opportunities to stay with the Patriots, likely knowing one day he’d be the successor to the Belichick throne.
In other words, he bet on himself with the team he never wanted to leave. The Patriots drafted him out of college, and after a successful playing career, Belichick took him under his wing and taught him the ins and outs of coaching.
Here are five things to know about Mayo: