April 25, 2024

Breaking News: Former Vol linebacker Jerod Mayo announces retirement

Former Vol and New England Patriot linebacker Jerod Mayo announced his retirement Tuesday after eight seasons in the NFL.

Featured image courtesy of creativecommons.org. No changes made.

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New England Patriots linebacker and former Tennessee Volunteer Jerod Mayo officially announced his retirement via Instagram on Tuesday.

Mayo played for Tennessee from 2005-2007 and led the SEC in tackles in 2007 with 140. His production and talent during his college years led to his number ten overall selection by the New England Patriots in the 2008 draft.

In his eight seasons as a Patriot, Mayo found his way on two Pro Bowl rosters and was a first-team all-pro selection in 2010, the same season he was named a defensive captain. He lived up to the label, finishing with 114 tackles, five passes deflected, and three fumble recoveries.

Mayo led New England in total tackles in his first three seasons as a pro, but in 2013, injuries began to plague the former Vols career. For the past three seasons, Mayo has been placed on injured reserve at some point, including during the Patriots’ 2014 Super Bowl run. He did, however, participate in New England’s 2011 Super Bowl run, where he recorded a game-high 11 tackles in the Patriots 21-17 loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl 46.

Mayo joins a recent trend of early retirements. He is only 29-years-old and started in just 93 games, collecting 535 tackles.

Featured image courtesy of RWM.

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