"There isn't much that's surprised Bill Belichick about Jerod Mayo.

The way he patrols the field with the Patriots, Belichick said, is what he saw when he was in college at Tennessee. The 25-year-old linebacker is active, makes a lot of tackles, has good range, is fast and diagnoses and recognizes plays quickly.

But Mayo's importance runs much deeper than the plays he makes every Sunday. And it's what Belichick couldn't see when Mayo was in college that has not only surprised him, but gives him a bigger impact on this Super Bowl team."