Mayo gets dressed for success
He's well-suited to meet Patriots
FOXBOROUGH - Patriots owner Robert Kraft likes sharp ties, so meeting his dapper-dressed first-round draft choice for the first time yesterday, one of his questions was "Charvet?"
Linebacker Jerod Mayo knows plenty about X's and O's, but ties? Not so much.
Flipping the reddish-gray, silk tie over, he told Kraft it was actually purchased by his mother. And unlike a Charvet, which go for as much as $200, it was a $40 special.
The exchange was part of a surreal day for Mayo as he arrived at Gillette Stadium for the first time since the Patriots selected him with the 10th overall pick in last weekend's NFL draft.
"It's kind of overwhelming right now, I feel like a little boy again," he said while standing on the playing field under a bright sun. "At the same time, I'm just going to relish the moment and enjoy myself."
Mayo was a late riser on draft boards, but yesterday, he was an early riser as he played "Meet the Patriots."
Mayo's trip to Foxborough was longer than the wait he had to get drafted. His day began in his hometown of Hampton, Va. Mayo arose before dawn and was on the road before 5 a.m. Dressed in a black T-shirt, jeans, and a pair of throwback red and black Air Jordans, his suit and tie handy in a garment bag, he cleared Norfolk's airport security line at 5:50 for his Delta Airlines flight to New York, where he would pick up his connection to Boston.
At 6:30, Mayo was wheels up on Flight 6006 to John F. Kennedy Airport. He deplaned at 7:45 a.m. After quickly changing into his navy blue suit and tie, he boarded his Boston-bound Delta flight (5506), which departed around 9:20.
By 10:30, Mayo, looking crisp in his suit, arrived at Logan Airport, prepared to meet the Patriots. He wasn't stopped by fans in the airport, although he later joked he hoped that might change in a few years.
Upon his arrival at the stadium, he was escorted to Kraft's spacious office. They talked about "life in general, how the process has been" and at one point during the conversation thoughts were spinning through Mayo's head.
"Just how far I've come, from being a little boy in Hampton, Va., to here now," he said.
Five minutes after noon he sauntered onto the Gillette Stadium field for his official introduction to the media, flanked by Kraft and team president Jonathan Kraft. He mugged for the cameras with the Krafts, holding up a navy blue No. 1 jersey with his name on the back, then fielded questions from an eager media horde, most of whom were still snug in bed when Mayo arrived at JFK.
Mayo described his style of play as "hard-nosed, always trying to make a play, downhill. Contact guy."
He also talked about learning from the veterans on the team yet resisted comparing himself with other players, such as fellow former Tennessee linebacker Al Wilson, who starred for the Broncos.
"I'm a hard worker and I'm going to come in here and contribute to this team any way I can, whether it be on special teams or as a starter," he said. "I'm coming to make a contribution and help bring a championship here."
Feeding off the energy of the moment, Mayo seemed ready to get to work.
"I'm just ready to put pads on now and hit someone," he said.
Christopher L. Gasper of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
