Patriots fans have been accustomed for many years to their royal couple formed by Tom Brady and top model Gisele Bündchen. Heading into Super Bowl LX, it was young quarterback Drake Maye and his wife, Ann Michael, who won the hearts of fans, one victory and one recipe at a time.
Maye, just 23 years old, has been an important cog in the Patriots’ post-Brady renaissance. The team had to fall back into the depths following the departure of the immortal quarterback in 2020, but now Maye is bringing it back to the Super Bowl after seven years of absence.
In only his second year, he has already reached an unimaginable level of play, becoming the second youngest player at his position in history to reach the Super Bowl.
They say that behind every great man, there is a woman…
It was in 2015 that Maye and his current partner met, at the start of high school. The lovebirds have been together ever since and both studied in their hometown at the University of North Carolina.
The Maye couple, three years ago, when both were studying at the University of North Carolina. – Photo taken from INSTAGRAM, ANN MICHAEL MAYE
Maye became the third overall pick in the 2024 draft, while last spring his girlfriend graduated with a degree in business administration.
A funny celebrity
While Maye tore through opposing defenses by completing 72% of his passes this season, an NFL high, his better half also found fame, practically by accident.
In December, Ann Michael began offering one recipe per day until Christmas, via the TikTok platform. His Bakemas concept quickly ignited social networks. A simple video of her jalapeno and cheddar bread recipe has been viewed 2.2 million times.
Basically, the initial idea was to bake some cookies, pastries and other goodies to distribute in the Patriots locker room.
Since then, the local NBC channel in Boston has even offered her her own show, during which she cooks with athletes.
“The offensive linemen especially liked it. They started leaving me notes asking me to continue because they had to maintain a high weight to properly protect my husband,” Ann Michael Maye had fun recounting on this show.
The everyday couple
In his youth, Drake Maye was a supporter of the Carolina Panthers, along with his better half. – Photo taken from INSTAGRAM, ANN MICHAEL MAYE
In New England, Drake and Ann Michael Maye have become a favorite couple. The latter has even been nicknamed the Queen of the North, even if, in fact, there is nothing royal about her.
In the second round of the playoffs against the Texans, she caused a stir by going to support her man wearing a black sweater on which was simply written “I love Drake Maye,” with a red heart. People liked it to the point where sales of this jersey were officially authorized by the Players Association.
“The cooking and the rest, it’s an example that shows that these two are like us. Connecting with fans is easier than with a Gisele or a Taylor Swift,” Boston pastry chef and big Patriots fan Tab Volpe recently argued in the New York Post.
True, despite the star quarterback status enjoyed by Drake Maye, it is easy to identify with him and his wife, who are known for their humility. Unlike others with unattainable status, they exude the image of the simple and normal little couple from the house next door.
The story doesn’t say if Drake Maye helps with the cooking, but what is clear is that he cooks his rivals on the field.
During the current playoffs, he has just won against three defensive units ranked in the top 5 in the league.
And that’s not a piece of cake!
DRAKE MAYE’S STATISTICS
This season
- Passes attempted: 492
- Passes completed: 354
- Success percentage: 72%
- Yards through the air: 4394
- Touchdown passes: 31
- Interceptions: 8
- Yards per run: 450
- Hits on the ground: 4
- Record: 14-3
In the playoffs
- Passes attempted: 77
- Passes completed: 43
- Success percentage: 55.8%
- Yards through the air: 533
- Touchdown passes: 4
- Interceptions: 2
- Yards per rush: 141
- Hits on the ground: 1
- Record: 3-0
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