Post by Zig on Feb 17, 2016 8:02:41 GMT -5
Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo announced on Instagram Tuesday night that he is retiring from the NFL.
Mayo thanked team Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft (who Mayo referred to as "Thundercat") and president Jonathan Kraft, coach Bill Belichick and Patriots fans for "contributing to these pages" of his family's life. The caption that accompanied Mayo's announcement read, "RETIRING A PATRIOT."
"As my family and I prepare for the future," Mayo said, "Be sure that the Pats memories will always hold a special place in our hearts."
Mayo was a first-round pick out of the University of Tennessee in 2008. He played his entire career in New England and was a captain seven times in his eight professional seasons. He made two Pro Bowls, he was named a First-Team All-Pro in 2010, and he was a member of two Super Bowl teams.
Mayo finished each of the last three seasons on injured reserve, suffering pectoral injuries in Week 6 of 2013 and in the Divisional Round this past season. In 2014, a patellar tendon injury he suffered in Week 6 sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
Even while injured, teammates and coaches praised Mayo for how he continued to be a positive influence on the sidelines and in the facility despite not being able to take the field.
"Mayo is kind of the heart and soul of not just the defense, but really the team," said safety Devin McCourty in the days following New England's Divisional Round win over the Chiefs. "He gets everybody going. Being able to watch him, he’s a special leader. Energy level is always high. No matter if it’s 6:30 in the morning and the training room is packed with treatments and guys are trying to get healthy. He’s usually in there getting guys going.
"I think it’s a big loss for us as a team, but this time of year, playing in the NFL, things happen. I just hate it for him, personally, you know he’s battled and worked his way back from different injuries and being able to help us out a lot this year defensively I think has been huge for us so knowing him, he’s a tough guy. He’s going to rehab and do everything he has to do, but it just sucks he won’t be able to be out there on the field playing."
"He’s a captain of our team," said receiver Danny Amendola. "He’s a great player, a leader in the locker room and any time a player like that goes down you’re going to miss him. He’ll still be around and helping us and getting us ready as best he can with whatever he can do."
Mayo played in all 16 regular-season games this season. He totaled 402 snaps as he helped fill in behind the top pairing of Dont'a Hightower and Jamie Collins. By season's end he had recorded 47 tackles and one sack.
Before the AFC Championship Game in Denver last month, Hightower was asked about how he had been influenced by Mayo over the course of his career.
"I grew up watching Jerod in college," Hightower, a Tennessee native, explained, "so I mean just coming here and just sitting down and talking to him after being drafted and stuff, that meant a lot to me. I thought I was a smart football player, but I mean that dude could be a defensive coordinator right now, so just literally learning so much from him has just really meant a lot for me and my career."
There was a decision looming for the Patriots as it related to Mayo's contract since he was scheduled to have one of the highest salary-cap hits on the team in 2016. With his retirement, Mayo will save the Patriots about $6.5 million in salary-cap space.
www.csnne.com/new-england-patriots/patriots-lb-jerod-mayo-announces-nfl-retirement
Mayo thanked team Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft (who Mayo referred to as "Thundercat") and president Jonathan Kraft, coach Bill Belichick and Patriots fans for "contributing to these pages" of his family's life. The caption that accompanied Mayo's announcement read, "RETIRING A PATRIOT."
"As my family and I prepare for the future," Mayo said, "Be sure that the Pats memories will always hold a special place in our hearts."
Mayo was a first-round pick out of the University of Tennessee in 2008. He played his entire career in New England and was a captain seven times in his eight professional seasons. He made two Pro Bowls, he was named a First-Team All-Pro in 2010, and he was a member of two Super Bowl teams.
Mayo finished each of the last three seasons on injured reserve, suffering pectoral injuries in Week 6 of 2013 and in the Divisional Round this past season. In 2014, a patellar tendon injury he suffered in Week 6 sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
Even while injured, teammates and coaches praised Mayo for how he continued to be a positive influence on the sidelines and in the facility despite not being able to take the field.
"Mayo is kind of the heart and soul of not just the defense, but really the team," said safety Devin McCourty in the days following New England's Divisional Round win over the Chiefs. "He gets everybody going. Being able to watch him, he’s a special leader. Energy level is always high. No matter if it’s 6:30 in the morning and the training room is packed with treatments and guys are trying to get healthy. He’s usually in there getting guys going.
"I think it’s a big loss for us as a team, but this time of year, playing in the NFL, things happen. I just hate it for him, personally, you know he’s battled and worked his way back from different injuries and being able to help us out a lot this year defensively I think has been huge for us so knowing him, he’s a tough guy. He’s going to rehab and do everything he has to do, but it just sucks he won’t be able to be out there on the field playing."
"He’s a captain of our team," said receiver Danny Amendola. "He’s a great player, a leader in the locker room and any time a player like that goes down you’re going to miss him. He’ll still be around and helping us and getting us ready as best he can with whatever he can do."
Mayo played in all 16 regular-season games this season. He totaled 402 snaps as he helped fill in behind the top pairing of Dont'a Hightower and Jamie Collins. By season's end he had recorded 47 tackles and one sack.
Before the AFC Championship Game in Denver last month, Hightower was asked about how he had been influenced by Mayo over the course of his career.
"I grew up watching Jerod in college," Hightower, a Tennessee native, explained, "so I mean just coming here and just sitting down and talking to him after being drafted and stuff, that meant a lot to me. I thought I was a smart football player, but I mean that dude could be a defensive coordinator right now, so just literally learning so much from him has just really meant a lot for me and my career."
There was a decision looming for the Patriots as it related to Mayo's contract since he was scheduled to have one of the highest salary-cap hits on the team in 2016. With his retirement, Mayo will save the Patriots about $6.5 million in salary-cap space.
www.csnne.com/new-england-patriots/patriots-lb-jerod-mayo-announces-nfl-retirement
