It seems like New England Patriots second-year quarterback Drake Maye is loved everywhere that he goes.
Fnas up north quickly fell in love with the third overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. His MVP-caliber second season certainly didn’t hurt.
But at his heart, Maye is a North Carolina kid. Maye was born in Huntersville, NC. He played football and basketball at Myers Park High School in Charlotte, where he met his now wife, Anne Michael.
He then chose to stay local and attend the University of North Caroline despite originally committing to play football for Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Maye was a two-year starter for UNC before Jerod Mayo’s Patriots forced the then 21-year-old to finally leave his home state.
He was back in Charlotte on Thursday night, reconnecting with his hometown fans and stealing the show during the Charlotte Hornets’ much-needed 114-103 victory over the New York Knicks.
Drake Maye is courtside for Knicks/Hornets and slinging footballs into the crowd 🏈 pic.twitter.com/xrXgWnELd6
— NBA (@NBA) March 26, 2026
What initially appeared to be a routine court-side appearance for the young couple in Charlotte turned into a pre-planned event.
Maye began rifling footballs into the crowd that quickly erupted and rose to their feet to catch a pass from the AFC Champion.
The footballs were provided by the Hornets’ hype team and “snapped” to him by his wife. Maye sent four footballs into the crowd, finding recipients near the top of the stadium.
The clip has half a million views, with many of the comments celebrating the nonchalant vibe of one of the league’s biggest stars.
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