Mike Mayock

Michael Francis Mayock Sr., born on August 14, 1958, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, began his football journey playing high school football at The Haverford School and college football at Boston College. He was also a baseball player during his college years. In 1981, Mayock was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the tenth round of the NFL draft as the 265th overall pick. After being waived by the Steelers, he signed with the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL for the 1981 season, playing in one game. He then joined the New York Giants for the 1982 and 1983 NFL seasons. During his time with the Giants, he played in nine games, primarily contributing on special teams. His playing career was marked by injuries, including a torn rotator cuff in 1982 and arthroscopic knee surgery in 1983, leading to multiple stints on injured reserve before he was waived in 1984.

Following his playing career and an 18-year period in commercial real estate, Mayock transitioned into broadcasting. He started covering college football for Prime Network, NCAA Productions, Prime Sports Radio, and the Big East Conference. From 1993 to 1995, he worked as an analyst and sideline reporter for ESPN, covering both the Canadian Football League and college football. His career progressed to CBS Sports in 1996, where he was a game analyst and lead sideline reporter for SEC football and covered the NCAA basketball tournament. He also spent time with Fox Sports Net in 2000 and ABC Sports from 2001 to 2004, continuing his role as a college football analyst. From 2004 to 2018, Mayock became widely recognized during his tenure with the NFL Network, where he served as the lead draft analyst and hosted the show ‘Path To The Draft.’ He also provided color commentary for Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles preseason games, as well as ‘Thursday Night Football’ from 2011 to 2013. Additionally, he was a game analyst for NBC’s coverage of Notre Dame football from 2010 to 2014, notably calling the “Beast Quake” playoff game in 2011.

In December 2018, Mayock stepped into an executive role as the general manager of the Oakland Raiders, overseeing the team’s transition to Las Vegas. During his three seasons as GM from 2019 to 2021, the team made a playoff appearance in 2021. Notable picks during his tenure included Clelin Ferrell, Josh Jacobs, and Johnathan Abram in his first draft, and later-round selections such as Maxx Crosby and Hunter Renfrow. His time as GM concluded in January 2022 after a Wild Card loss, and he later indicated that his recommendation to retain interim coach Rich Bisaccia may have influenced his dismissal. Post-Raiders, Mayock returned to media, working as an NFL analyst for Westwood One Radio, co-hosting a podcast with his daughter, and serving as a football evaluation specialist for SūmerSports.