Eric Mayes

Mayes played for the University of Michigan football team as a walk-on and was later elected co-captain of the undefeated 1997 Michigan Wolverines football team that won the Associated Press national championship.

[1][2] Mayes, called Zeus by his teammates, was such a motivational and inspirational leader that after suffering a season-ending injury during the teams national championship run, his teammates handed him the Big Ten Conference championship trophy, hoisted him on their shoulders and carried him off the field after defeating Ohio State at Michigan Stadium, 20–14.

After graduating with a Master of Science from Michigan, Mayes worked as a high school technology teacher and coach in Detroit, before earning his Ph.D. from Howard University.

He later graduated from Harvard University with a post doctorate master's degree focused on education policy and management.

After working on national policy issues in Washington, D.C., Mayes joined the faculty at Johns Hopkins University.