Why Jerod Mayo Felt ‘In His Element’ In Patriots’ Head Coaching Debut

FOXBORO, Mass. -- Jerod Mayo is no stranger to taking the field at Gillette Stadium to represent the New England Patriots.

He did so for eight seasons as a player and over the last five years as an assistant on Bill Belichick's staff.

Thursday marked the first time he held the ropes since embarking on his journey as New England's next head coach. That comes with plenty of responsibility and oversight to lead at the top of command for an NFL team.

For Mayo in the preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers, the 38-year-old felt more excitement than nervous and even more so a level of comfortability on the sidelines.

"I just felt like I was in my element," Mayo told reporters at Gillette Stadium. "I felt great to be out there. Nothing else really mattered to me."

As a defensive assistant, Mayo had to be on top of his game with specific in-game duties and handling details throughout the game. Now, the ability to oversee the game in all phases brings a new perspective to the Patriots' first-year head coach.

"When you don't have to worry about substitutions and things like that, you kind of see the game from a different perspective, which I thought was great for me today," Mayo said. "It was the first time I really got a chance to experience that. Hopefully, it keeps going the same way and we do a good job with the subs with our assistant coaches and I can kind of focus on the game in totality."

Mayo and the Patriots hope to see similar results after starting the preseason with a 17-3 victory.