Jerod Mayo got his tenure as New England Patriots head coach started in awkward fashion at his introductory press conference.
Mayo had to navigate a racial disconnect with Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who stumbled over the pronunciation of his brother’s name.
Mayo’s response when Robert Kraft botched his brother’s name
Mayo flew in for the save on behalf of his new boss, happy to correct someone he sensed was in unfamiliar territory.
“I’ll get it right,” he assured Kraft. “No, it’s alright. It’s one of those Black names.”
His humorous reaction proved to be a positive indication of Mayo’s leadership and ability to bring people together, key traits for any football coach.
He has a big task ahead as the Patriots move on from legendary coach Bill Belichick. Even with Belichick, the team struggled to a 29-39 record in the four seasons since Tom Brady left the franchise.
Mayo says that he sees color
Helping Kraft pronounce the Black name was not the only time Mayo discussed race at the press conference. He was asked about becoming the first Black head coach in Patriots history.
“I appreciate [Kraft] and the organization selecting me to be a Black head coach,” he said. “You want your locker room to be pretty diverse, and you want the world to look like that.”
“What I will say, though, is I do see color because I believe if you don’t see color, you can’t see racism.”
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