Jerod Mayo talks DePalma Joining Pats Coaching Staff

As Patriots rookie minicamp concluded for players last weekend, it did for some young coaches as well.

One of those guys is former BC linebacker Vinny DePalma -whp turned down a cushy job to start the grind as a coach in the NFL - gets his career started under Jerod Mayo. (I joked with him in March that he was nuts, but he said it was an opportunity he couldn't pass up) .

DePalma is a 'defensive coaching assistant' by title, but Mike Reiss told us on the New England Football Show two weeks ago that it was a low level, basically intern role, but ya gotta start somewhere, right?

Prior to the first voluntary OTA for veteran players Monday, I asked Mayo why he wanted to have DePalma and another local guy - former URI DB and son of Hall of Famer Andre Tippett - Coby Tippett on his staff. He paid them both a pretty good compliment.

“Yeah, they are hard workers,” he said. “I think that, first and foremost, has to be something that we focus on, is having guys, “grinders” is what we call our guys, are here at 6:00 in the morning and leave here when work is done. They have done a great job for us.”