Patriots’ Drake Maye shares heartfelt sideline moment with wife Ann Michael before Super Bowl debut
In just his second NFL season, Drake Maye narrowly missed league MVP honors and led the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl.
While the 23-year-old has earned widespread praise on the field, he received perhaps his most meaningful support just before Sunday’s kickoff. The emerging quarterback's wife, Ann Michael Maye, was on the Levi’s Stadium sideline for pregame warmups.
After spotting Ann, Maye embraced his wife and shared a kiss before continuing preparations to compete on the game's biggest stage.
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The Pro Bowl quarterback married his high school sweetheart last June in North Carolina. In a charitable act, the couple donated their wedding gifts to the homeless, The News & Observer reported.
Maye first went public with his relationship with Ann in 2020, captioning a New Year’s Day post of the couple with, "Bringing in ’20 with a 10."
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Maye has been outspoken about his views on marriage. In the days leading up to the Super Bowl, Maye said he would advise all of his teammates to get married at some point in their lives.
"My teammates have a right to do whatever they choose," he said. "I definitely would advise them to eventually get married. It’s one of the best things in life. It’s one of the best things I’ve experienced in my life. There’s no better feeling than coming home to a wife that loves you and cares for you and worried about your best interests.
"I know my teammates, some of them are experiencing different parts of their life in what stages. But I chose to get married young and I don’t regret it one bit."
Maye and Ann both attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Maye finished his two-year run as the Tar Heels’ starting quarterback with 62 touchdowns. He threw for 8,018 yards over his three years in a North Carolina uniform.
Shortly after the Patriots selected Maye in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, Ann took to social media to express her support and excitement.
"Drake, words cannot describe how proud I am of you. What an incredible blessing it has been to be by your side through all of this," she captioned the 2024 Instagram post. "I love you and can’t wait for this next chapter! GO PATS!!"
Maye appeared in 13 games in his rookie season. In his first season under coach Mike Vrabel, Maye posted a league-best completion percentage. He finished the regular season with 4,394 passing yards and 31 touchdown passes.
Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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