Jerod Mayo was fortunate to join the New England Patriots as a rookie in 2008 when the roster had so many great leaders who had won Super Bowl titles.
These players knew what it took to prepare before game day and then execute at a high level once the action starts on Sunday. And as a linebacker, Mayo was able to work with a great group of veterans that included Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Adalius Thomas, Junior Seau and Larry Izzo, among others.
One quote from Bruschi very early in Mayo's career really had an impact on him, and it has stuck with him to this day as he leads the Patriots in his first season as head coach.
Mayo shared the story in an exclusive interview with Tom E. Curran on NBC Sports Boston's Patriots Talk Podcast.
🔊 Patriots Talk Podcast: Exclusive interview: Jerod Mayo sits down to discuss first season as Patriots head coach | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
"I still remember walking into the locker room on my first day, and Tedy Bruschi had that first locker -- that first locker was very special in there," Mayo explained. "And he said, 'Hey, what do you want to do? You know, as a player, what do you want to become? What do you want to do your rookie year?'
"And I said, 'You know, I want to just help the defense and I want to get 100 tackles.' And he laughed at me and said, 'Just remember this. You're closer to the end than you are to the beginning.'
"That was my first day there, and I still feel the same way now. And this is why we try to coach so hard. This is why we try to develop because we are always trying to improve, not only the players, but also the coaches."
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Mayo definitely made good on his goals for that season.
He led the Patriots with 100 solo tackles (39 more than any other player on the roster), in addition to tallying four pass breakups and one fumble recovery in 16 games. He was voted AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Bruschi's quote also stresses the urgency you need to have to be successful in the NFL. The careers are short. There's a finite number of opportunities for players and coaches to prove themselves and make a strong on-field impact.
Coaching with this sort of mentality is a smart move by Mayo, especially with a young team that has so many first- and second-year players still developing. Even if you're a rookie, the end of your career might not be far away, so you need to practice and play as if the next snap is your last. It sounds cliché, but it's the right way to look at your job as an NFL player.
Also in the episode:
- Has the job been harder than Mayo expected it to be?
- What conversations with ownership have been like for Mayo
- Rapid fire questions for Mayo
