Name – Jerod Mayo
Position – Linebacker
Team – New England Patriots
Height – 6 foot 1 inch
Age – 25
College – Tennessee
Drafted – 10th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots
Jerod Mayo was born to be a football player. Although a little short by normal standards, he was a standout player in high school and was highly sought after, eventually joining the University of Tennessee. There he excelled, amassing an awesome 140 tackles in 2007 and was highly regarded as one of the best linebackers to come out of college in the 2000s. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the top 10 of the 2008 NFL Draft.
Mayo didn’t disappoint as he began his NFL career the way he had ended his college game and became instantly known as a tackling machine. In his rookie year, he had his first 20 tackle game against the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football and finished the year with 128 total tackles along with a forced fumble. His production brought him the AP Defensive Rookie Of The Year title with 49 of the 50 votes cast.
The 2009 season didn’t begin so well for Mayo as he sustained an MCL injury in the opener. Despite being out until week 5, he still managed 103 tackles on the season. He continued his momentum through 2010, cementing his reputation as one of the best tacklers in the game with a league high 175 tackles for the year, earning him Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors. In 2011 he finally slowed down when hampered by injury and failed to reach 100 tackles for the first time although he did manage the first two interceptions of his career. Despite this, the Patriots chose to give him a 5 year contract extension in December.
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