March 8, 2011
He stood on O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium in Durham, North Carolina watching the clock tick down. A little less than a year before, he was a player without a team and now he was a part of the Monarch family, helping Old Dominion reach new heights in just its second year of football. Fighting back tears, he knew these were the last few moments he'd be a collegiate student-athlete. But as the old saying goes, when one door closes, another one opens and for Deron Mayo, he's setting his sights on opening a door to a pro career.
"I think I'm busier now than I was during the season," joked Mayo. "I work out here four times a week and also out in Chesapeake with Rick Cox. Since stepping off the field last fall, it's been all about training, gaining weight, and obviously doing my school work."
If you happen to pass Mount Trashmore in Virginia Beach, don't be surprised if you happen to see Mayo working out in the 20 mph wind gusts with a parachute on.
"He is going to put up some numbers that not too many players put up at this year's NFL combine," said Monarch head football coach Bobby Wilder. "He's going to run somewhere in the 4.3, very low 4.4 range and he's going do it at about 230 pounds. Deron will bench 225 pounds somewhere between 25 and 30 reps. Those are phenomenal strength numbers for someone his size."
Mayo's impact at Old Dominion was immediate from the time he set foot on campus. Choosing to play his final season of collegiate football at ODU after Hofstra disbanded its program, Mayo was named a Transfer to Watch" by the Sports Network and in a vote by his teammates, was named a Co-Captain, showing their respect for the defensive end with Mayo not even having played a game in the Monarch uniform.
In 2010, Mayo was third on the ODU defense making 70 tackles and made five or more stops in 10 of the Monarchs' 11 games. He led the Monarchs in sacks, was second on the team in tackles for loss, forced a team-leading three fumbles, recorded a team second-best seven QB hurries, and tied for third among teammates with three pass break-ups. Not to mention that as a member of the special teams unit, Mayo blocked two kicks, including a punt at Hampton resulting in a Monarch score.
For Mayo, however, he is determined those will not be the final stats you see from him.
"Deron's biggest challenge is what position can he play in the NFL," noted Wilder of the Monarch's professional prospects. "He played defensive line in college, but he's too small to play defensive line in the NFL. He is going to have to stand up and play linebacker. Deron is going to have to find the right fit based on an NFL team that wants a 5-11, 230 lbs. linebacker who is as fast as a running back or wide receiver. I feel confident that if he gets that opportunity with the right team, he's going make an NFL roster."
"Right now, all I can do is workout," said Mayo in preparing for Virginia's Pro Day on March 17th.
Mayo spent a week in Florida, where his agent is located, training with other potential pros from BCS schools. He's also been meeting regularly with the ODU staff.
"I've been meeting with the coaches to talk basically football lingo," said Mayo. "I know at the next level it's a lot about that playbook and fundamentals."
The first potential Monarch in the pros has also been turning to his brother, New England Patriot linebacker Jerod Mayo for advice on taking the next step.
"He's been more like my dad, telling me what not to do all the time," laughed Mayo. "He went to the Pro Bowl and the whole family goes, but he tells us `No, Deron is not going. He's staying back in training.' He's pushing for me just as hard and keeping me on the right path."
But even though he's got his sights set on a possible career in the NFL, it's not just about working out for Mayo. Working towards his degree in exercise science and a May graduation, he still has classes, including labs, in kinesiology and exercise testing.
"ODU was one of the best experiences of my life," said Mayo looking back. "I tell the kids all the time, it doesn't get much better than this. Running out of that tunnel and all those screaming fans, it's an experience I'll never forget."
"I have a lot of people pushing me and helping me out for this potential pro career," noted Mayo and on March 17th he'll be able to show scouts the potential Monarch Nation knew he had all along.