Jerod Mayo Jerod Mayo ( born February 23 , 1986 ) is an American football linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League ( NFL ) . He played college football for the University of Tennessee . He was drafted by the Patriots tenth overall in the 2008 NFL Draft , and was named the 2008 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year . Early years . Mayo was born in Hampton , Virginia . He attended Kecoughtan High School in Hampton , where he earned three letters in football as a linebacker and a running back . As a senior , Mayo recorded 110 tackles , including 18 for loss , and two interceptions . Also playing running back for seven games , he picked up 1 , 245 rushing yards and scored 13 touchdowns and five two - point conversions during his final campaign . As a junior , he recorded 68 tackles including 22 for loss , four interceptions and three sacks and earned first - team All - District , All - Area and All - Region honors . Considered a four - star recruit by " Rivals . com " , Mayo ranked eleventh among outside linebackers nation - wide . College career . Mayo played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers . After redshirting the 2004 season , he appeared in six games at weak - side outside linebacker in 2005 , finishing with 13 tackles ( 10 solo ) . Mayo made the Volunteers starting lineup as a redshirt sophomore in 2006 , as he started 11 contests at weak - side outside linebacker . He finished third on the team with 83 tackles ( 48 solos ) , including five sacks for minus 40 yards , 12 . 5 stops for losses of 51 yards and a quarterback pressure . He also recovered one fumble and deflected a pass . " Rivals . com " subsequently named him to their All - American second team . For his junior season , Mayo moved to middle linebacker and started all 14 games . Serving as the defensive squad ' s co - captain , he went on to register 140 tackles in 2007 , the most by a Tennessee defender since Earnest Fields registered those same totals for the Volunteers in 1990 . He added 1 . 5 quarterback sacks for minus 11 yards , 8 . 5 stops for losses and five quarterback pressures , and also returned an interception 34 yards for a touchdown . Mayo was a first - team All - Southeastern Conference selection and also earned All - American second - team honors by " The NFL Draft Report " . Professional career . Pre - draft . Mayo was considered one of the best linebackers available in the 2008 NFL Draft and drew comparisons to Will Witherspoon . " Sporting News " described Mayo as a “ perfect fit to play one of the inside spots ” in a 3 - 4 defense . New England Patriots . 2008 season . Mayo was drafted by the New England Patriots with the tenth overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft . He was signed on July 24 , 2008 , to a five - year contract ( rather than the six - year maximum allowed by the NFL ' s collective bargaining agreement ) worth $ 18 . 9 million , including $ 13 . 8 million in bonuses and guarantees . Mayo was the only rookie in the Patriots ' 2008 class to start in Week 1 , and played every snap for the defense . Mayo was named the NFL ' s Defensive Rookie of the Month for October 2008 . He led the Patriots with 24 tackles for the month , including 11 against the Denver Broncos in his first Monday Night Football appearance . In the Patriots ' Thursday Night Football game on November 13 , 2008 , against their division rivals , the New York Jets , Mayo led all defensive players with 20 tackles ( 16 solo , 4 assisted ) , the first 20 - tackle game of his career . At the end of the 2008 season , in which Mayo had 128 total tackles ( 100 solo , 28 assists ) and a forced fumble , he was named AP Defensive Rookie of the Year for 2008 in a near - unanimous vote : Mayo received 49 of 50 votes cast , with Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers receiving the other vote . 2009 season . Mayo was injured in the Patriots ' 2009 season opener against the Buffalo Bills . The sprained MCL in his knee was originally expected to keep him out 6 – 8 weeks , but he returned in Week 5 against the Denver Broncos . Mayo finished the season with 103 tackles and 1 . 5 sacks . 2010 season . In 2010 , Mayo was named a defensive captain . In Week 4 against the Miami Dolphins , Mayo recorded 16 tackles , and two weeks later notched 18 tackles in an overtime win over the Baltimore Ravens . In Week 8 , Mayo recorded 14 tackles in a win over the Minnesota Vikings . Against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 11 , Mayo recorded 15 tackles in a win . In Week 12 , Mayo ' s eight tackles gave him 132 on the season , surpassing his previous career high of 128 , set in 2008 . He added another 12 tackles in Week 13 against the New York Jets , and had 16 in Week 15 against the Green Bay Packers . He ended the season with a league - high 175 tackles , along with two sacks and one forced fumble . He was named as a reserve to the 2011 Pro Bowl on January 2 , 2011 . In the same season he was named to the 2010 All Pro team . On December 17 , 2011 at the beginning of Week 15 it was announced that he had signed a 5 year contract extension . 2011 season . He 2011 , he missed 3 games due to injuries but still managed to eclipse the 100 tackle mark . 2012 season . He was voted a defensive co - captain by his teammates for the fourth straight year . On November 16 , 2012 , Mayo was fined $ 10 , 000 for a late hit out of bounds on Week 10 against C . J . Spiller with the Buffalo Bills . This drew an unnecessary roughness call . Later in the year , he was selected in the 2013 pro bowl . Personal life . Mayo is married to Chantel Mayo . The couple gave birth to their first child , ( daughter ) on July 20th 2010 , and their 2nd child ( son ) on July 20th 2011 . The family resides in Foxboro MA . Mayo has two brothers who play college football . His brother Deron Mayo is a junior at Old Dominion , and his brother Derek Mayo is a senior at Richmond . Jerod , Deron and Derek Mayo are all linebackers . Derek ' s Richmond team won the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision title in 2008 . Mayo has been involved with United Way , filming a PSA for the New Hampshire 2 - 1 - 1 help line . In 2010 Jerod and Chantel Mayo organized an inaugural celebrity bowling tournament at Kings Dedham at Legacy Place . The annual event benefited Pitching in for Kids , Inc . , a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing earmarked grants that improve the lives of children in New England .