The post-Bill Belichick era of the New England Patriots will be led by new head coach Jerod Mayo, as the former Patriots linebacker and linebackers coach was introduced in a press conference Wednesday.
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During the press conference, Patriots owner Robert Kraft attempted to pronounce the name of one of Mayo's brothers, Shermont. The exchange proved to be a pretty hilarious one:
#Patriots owner Robert Kraft struggled to pronounce one of Jerod Mayo's brother's names:
"It's one of those black names. I'll help you with that." 😂😂pic.twitter.com/2CpYxZduqh
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 17, 2024
Immediately after Kraft said it, the new Patriots head coach corrected him while laughing.
"I'll get it right; I'll get it right," Mayo said.
"Well ... we'll have to," Kraft responded.
Mayo interrupted him, jokingly saying, "Nah, it's alright, it's one of those Black names. I'll help you with that."
Kraft replied, "Well, Stacy told me you were an expert. ... You know he goes right by the book here."
During that comeback, Mayo said, "Exactly, exactly."
Mayo, 37, was drafted by the Patriots in the first round with the 10th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft out of Tennessee. He played there from 2008-2015. He then took a few years off from football before returning to the Patriots on March 27, 2019, as the Patriots' inside linebackers coach through the 2023 season. In his contract, though, he had a succession clause to take over for Belichick once he left.
In his playing career, he racked up 802 tackles, 11 sacks, eight forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries, 19 pass deflections and three interceptions.
He holds the following accolades as a football player:
- Super Bowl XLIX champion
- NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
- One-time First-Team All-Pro
- Two-time Pro Bowler
- NFL Tackle Leader (2010)
- PFWA All-Rookie Team
- New England Patriots All-2010s Team
- First-Team All-SEC in 2007 while with the Tennessee Volunteers.
It's clear from this back-and-forth that Kraft and Mayo have a good relationship. And Mayo's comment about Shermont being "one of those Black names" drew a laugh from the media.
On a more serious note, Mayo also commented on being the first head coach in team history. While Kraft said he was "colorblind" and simply hired the best person for the job, Mayo took a different route:
“I do see color, because I believe if you don’t see color you can’t see racism.”
Jerod Mayo on being named the first black head coach in Patriots history. pic.twitter.com/toTTJ6CrB3
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 17, 2024
The Patriots now head into the 2024 NFL Draft with the No. 3 overall pick. Mayo will have a chance to right the Patriots' ship under his leadership.
