Jerod Mayo finally stepped out of the darkness on Saturday.

Mayo, who was fired by the New England Patriots on Jan. 5, made his first public appearance in several months during an SEC matchup between the Tennessee Volunteers and Georgia Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium.

Tennessee held a two-touchdown lead in the first quarter, but struggled to sustain momentum and missed a game-winning field goal attempt as time expired in regulation — eventually falling in overtime.

Mayo, of course, spent four seasons playing at Tennessee, where he was named First-Team All-SEC in 2007.

Mayo’s decision to stay out of the public eye has been understandable, as he was dropped like a bad habit just hours after coaching (and winning) New England’s season finale against the Buffalo Bills.

The Patriots enter

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