The city of New Orleans has a huge New England Patriots fan — and Michael Cerullo doesn't mind admitting it.
He can be forgiven, however, by the Crescent City residents. They've gone absolutely bonkers over their undefeated New Orleans Saints — a team for which Cerullo coaches.
The 42-year-old Cerullo hails from Middleton. He grew up in the Brigadoon section of town, adjacent to the third hole at the Middleton Golf Course. He occasionally would do the big rope swing off Thunder Bridge, grab an ice cream at Richardson's on Rte. 114, and he recalled his parents always having the neighbors over for a swim in the pool.
Cerullo was a two-way starter for four years at Masconomet Regional, a football team captain and an All-Cape Ann League recruited running back. He was good enough to land a scholarship at Central Connecticut.
He'd also make a great trivia question: Name an NFL assistant who coached in high school and chased his dream for 18 years before fulfilling it as a full-time pro football coach.
The three-year Saints' staffer has not forgotten his New England (gridiron) roots.
"I rooted for the Patriots my whole life, and I still do. I had my favorite players and went to some games as a kid. I follow them closely, and hope they do well — except when they play us," Cerullo said.
The Saints are 9-0 for the first time in franchise history heading into tomorrow's game in Tampa against the 1-8 Buccaneers. Next Monday night, the Patriots visit New Orleans in one of the mostly highly anticipated games of the season.
Cerullo got it good from some of the Patriots over the summer.
"I played plenty of golf at Middleton when I was younger, but only on occasion now. But I did make it to (former Patriot lineman) Joe Andruzzi's celebrity charity tournament on the South Shore and I wore my Saints' gear," Cerullo chuckled. "I really heard it from the Patriots' guys, and I gave it back. It was a fun day. There was a lot of give-and-take. They kept saying, hey, we'll see you in November."
Working his way up
His first job ever was at Middleton Golf Course, where he caddied at age 11 and cleaned the bathrooms. Now he's a part of a torybook team that is cleaning up the NFL after going 8-8 last season.
Cerullo joined the Saints in 2007 and worked with the coaching staff in all facets of preparation. His first two seasons he worked with the offense. He worked with the defensive staff this year as well as the linebackers. His other responsibilities include quality control, film breakdown, player scouting reports, playbook design and assisting at practice.
Cerullo was an intern with the Atlanta Falcons in pro personnel and with special teams from 2006-07. Prior to that, he was a "GA," a defensive graduate assistant at Syracuse University from 2003-06. That followed a stint as the tight ends coach/assistant linebacker coach at Northeastern University from 2001-03. The previous two years he helped tutor Curry College's defensive line when Pats' Hall of Famer Steve Nelson was the head coach.
The nine years he spent coaching at his alma mater, Masconomet, were a dream for Chieftains' long-time head coach Jim Pugh, who is extremely proud of Cerullo.
"It's a great family. His sisters (Carol and Nancy) were athletes at Masco. His parents sold tickets. They were great supporters, of their children, the athletic teams and the school," Pugh said.
"Mike was everything you wanted in an assistant. He had no ego; he'd do any task. If it was a rainy day, he's keep the footballs dry. If it was turn to be the JV coach, he'd be the JV coach. He was loyal, loved football, and had an excellent football mind.
Pugh recalled a game in 1998 against Cape Ann League rival Triton Regional where Cerullo had the defense so well prepared that they had every Vikings' offensive play down pat. "We knew everything that was coming," Pugh said.
"Mike often spoke about wanting a football career. We all encouraged him when the Curry job came up; same thing when the GA deal came up at Syracuse. We're not the least bit surprised he's succeeded like he did," Pugh said.
"When he's home summers he'll come over and help at the Chieftain Quarterback and Receiver Camp. Every coach he's ever worked with here and all his teachers are proud of his accomplishment."
Persistence paid off
Cerullo may have been the most popular guy on the staff at Masconomet. That's because he was a project engineer, dealing with traffic, and got the players part-time jobs with his company on traffic control. "Even some teachers, our coaches and my daughter Anne," Pugh recalled.
The biggest thing of all in Cerullo's life was that he loved to coach, Pugh said.
"I wrote about 300 letters (colleges and the NFL alike) for seven years, always to the head coaches. I still have the boxes of rejection" Cerullo recollected.
Believe it or not, I've met people in the NFL who remembered I sent them letters. I kind of broke the code. Many assistants are former NFL players, sons of fathers who played, and I was fortunate to be an outsider who made it. I wasn't recommended by an NFL individual. I had to create my own buzz."
Some folks didn't think he'd succeed. They didn't know Cerullo, someone who prepped a year at Bridgton Academy before going to college in Connecticut.
"I went to the college conventions and introduced myself to as many coaches as I could," he said. "I paid my way to three Senior Bowls in Memphis to meet the same guys I saw at the conventions. By the third year, I think they thought I was a coach somewhere.
Finally I got a break with the Falcons and my biggest break of all, I met (New Orleans head coach) Sean Payton, who hired me for a Saints' opening."
His goals are to become a position coach and a head coach in the NFL.
Don't bet against him.
