How did Patriots quarterback Drake Maye spend his offseason?
The first practice of Patriots training camp is set to take place Saturday, marking the end of a bustling offseason for quarterback Drake Maye.
Maye, coming off an impressive run to the Super Bowl in just his second season, stayed busy over the past five months. He traveled with his wife, Ann Michael, visited his home state of North Carolina, spent much of the spring in Massachusetts for the voluntary offseason program, and also carved out some time to give back to the community.
So, before the Patriots take the field again, let’s chronicle Maye’s adventures …
⋅ Shortly after the Super Bowl, Maye and his wife took a vacation to Hawaii. In addition to relaxing on the beach, Maye hosted a free football camp at Konawaena High School. Fifty high school quarterbacks and wide receivers, along with three girls’ flag football players, attended the 90-minute clinic, which featured pointers from Maye and even a few of his signature deep passes.
“It’s amazing when you watch [Maye] work with the kids, in terms of how positive he is,” University of Hawaii alum Rich Miano told West Hawaii Today. “He’s great at remembering everyone’s name. The positivity and patience that flows from him is just super.”
⋅ Maye and his wife then made their way to Japan to visit one of Maye’s older brothers, Luke, who is playing professional basketball for the Kobe Storks in the second division of the B.League. The couple watched Luke score 23 points in a 120-114 win over the Yokohama Excellence and explored the city of Kobe together.
They also visited multiple temples in Kyoto and watched Japan defeat Korea at the Tokyo Dome in a thrilling game of the World Baseball Classic. Ann Michael Maye, who went viral last winter for her “Bakemas” series, shared via social media profiles some of the local food they sampled.
⋅ After returning from his travels, Maye buzzed his hair as part of the 13th annual “Saving by Shaving” event, which raised more than $4 million for Boston Children’s Hospital. Quincy-based Granite Telecommunications donated $2,500 for every 8 inches of hair cut.
“To be able to give back, that’s what it’s about,” Maye said. “It’s bigger than football.”
⋅ In April, Maye and his wife traveled to Augusta, Ga. for the Masters. In an interview, Maye talked about his golf game — he estimates his handicap is 7 — as well as his plan to bounce back following his poor performance in the Super Bowl.
Read more FIFA investigates Argentina players confronting Spain’s on-field World Cup celebrations
“It’s humbling,” he said. “I think that’s the biggest thing about it, is it’s humbling. You’ve got to get back to work. When you’re so close and within reach, you want that feeling. Everybody says you’ll be back. It’s not that easy. We’ve got to get back to work. I’m looking forward to trying to prove to myself that we can get back.”
⋅ In May, Maye participated in the Truist Championship pro-am at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, N.C. Maye brought his brother Cole to serve as his caddie and teed off with New England native Keegan Bradley.
⋅ Later in May, Maye hosted his first charity celebrity softball classic. Almost 10,000 fans filled Polar Park in Worcester to watch Maye compete in a home run derby and seven-inning softball game. The event raised nearly $175,000 for Boston Children’s.
⋅ Other highlights of Maye’s summer included a trip to Grand Cayman with Ann Michael to celebrate their first wedding anniversary in June, a virtual surprise cameo during Noah Kahan’s first of four shows at Fenway Park this month, and a three-day throwing session last week with his receivers, including newly acquired A.J. Brown, in North Carolina.
“A.J.’s been awesome,” Maye said. “I’m really looking forward to playing with him. I’m looking forward to getting to camp and building some chemistry. I know there’s already some there for me. You’ve just got to throw it near him, and he’ll make a play. He’s a great teammate. He’s been great so far. He loves to win, so we share that.”
⋅ To close out his summer, Maye hosted three youth football camps in New England, in Auburn, Mansfield, and Londonderry, N.H. He engaged in on-field drills and encouraged the players, ages 6-16, to ask questions.
Maye took a photo with each participant, calling excitement surrounding his presence “one of the coolest parts of playing quarterback.”
“I think it’s something to, you know, not just get my mind off the work we’re about to go into, but it just reminds me of back in the day,” Maye said. “I used to be out here — I started playing tackle football at some of these kids’ ages, at 6 years old.”
Read more US strikes Iran for 10th consecutive night as Tehran strikes tanker in the Strait of Hormuz
Post Comment