Drake Maye is headed back to Santa Clara-but this time, he’s not just watching from the stands.
Ten years ago, a 13-year-old Maye sat in Levi’s Stadium with his dad, watching his hometown Carolina Panthers fall to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50. Fast forward a decade, and Maye will walk into that same stadium not as a fan, but as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60.
Let that sink in for a moment.
On Sunday, Maye led the Patriots to a gritty 10-7 win over Denver in the AFC Championship Game, punching New England’s ticket to the Super Bowl and capping off a remarkable second season for the 23-year-old quarterback. The game was a snow-covered slugfest, more about survival than style points. And while Maye’s stat line won’t wow anyone-86 passing yards, five sacks taken-it was his final act that sealed the deal.
With less than two minutes left, facing a third-and-5 and nursing a three-point lead, Maye kept the ball on a naked bootleg and outran a linebacker to pick up the game-clinching first down. No flash, no flair-just guts, timing, and the kind of poise that’s hard to teach. That one play sent the Patriots to the Super Bowl and showed exactly why New England made him the No. 3 overall pick in 2024.
Maye’s journey to this moment has deep roots in North Carolina. He grew up just outside Charlotte, played his high school ball at Hough and Myers Park, and starred at UNC for two seasons.
He’s part of one of the state’s most well-known sports families-his father, Mark, was a UNC quarterback, his mother, Aimee, a standout basketball player, and his brothers have all made names for themselves in hoops and baseball. Luke hit one of the most iconic shots in Tar Heel history during the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
Cole won a national title in baseball at Florida. Beau is now coaching basketball at Hough, where Drake’s high school football career began.
So yeah, the Maye family knows a thing or two about big moments. But now it’s Drake’s turn to take center stage.
And he’s doing it with the same low-key, team-first demeanor that’s endeared him to Patriots fans. Maye hasn’t tried to be the next Tom Brady-he’s just been himself.
Quietly confident. Consistently reliable.
And when the moment calls for it, undeniably clutch.
That’s been the story of New England’s turnaround. After a 4-13 rookie season, Maye has helped guide the Patriots to a 17-3 record, including three playoff wins.
This team, once searching for a post-Brady identity, now has one. And it starts under center.
Maye’s connection to Charlotte hasn’t faded, either. Back in September, when the Patriots routed the Panthers 42-13, Maye paid tribute to his childhood hero, Cam Newton.
After a rushing touchdown, he hit the iconic Superman celebration-a subtle nod to the player who once inspired him to dream big. “He was my favorite player growing up,” Maye said after the game.
“He played the position in a different way… the guys around him rallied around him. Pretty cool.”
That moment may have been a nod to the past, but everything else about Maye’s season has been about building something new.
And now, it all comes full circle. The same stadium where he once sat as a fan will now be the site of the biggest game of his life.
The opponent? The Seattle Seahawks, led by former Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold, who played a lights-out game in the NFC Championship to get Seattle past the Rams.
The Maye family will be there again-but this time, the seats will be a little closer to the field. And the camera crews will be watching.
That includes shots of Maye’s wife, Ann Michael, a Charlotte native who’s carved out her own following with her popular baking videos on social media. The spotlight is bigger now, and Maye’s whole world is in it.
Of course, questions still linger about his college career. Why didn’t UNC win more when they had a quarterback of his caliber?
The Tar Heels went 17-10 in his two seasons as a starter, and while Maye put up big numbers, the program never quite broke through. But the NFL is a different animal-and Maye is proving he belongs.
When he was drafted in 2024, Maye said of New England: “They expect to win, and that’s what I do.” So far, he’s backed that up.
Over the next two weeks, expect more of the same from Maye. He’ll talk about the team.
He’ll deflect praise. He’ll stay grounded.
And then, when Super Bowl Sunday arrives, he’ll try to do what Cam Newton couldn’t-win it all.
From a wide-eyed kid in the stands to the quarterback under the lights, Drake Maye’s story is already something special. But he’s not done writing it yet.