For Drake Maye, being a star athlete runs in the family

FOXBORO -- It was clear from a young age that new Patriots quarterback Drake Maye was going to become an athlete. Growing up the youngest of four brothers, each of whom have enjoyed success in their respective sports, the youngest Maye didn't really have a choice.

The Maye boys -- Luke, Cole, Beau, and Drake -- grew up a competitive bunch in Cornelius, North Carolina. They all pushed each other, both literally and figuratively, and have all enjoyed some level of success either on the football field, the basketball court, or the baseball diamond. 

They each followed an athletic path set out by their parents. Like Drake, his father Mark Maye played quarterback at UNC, also starting two seasons for the Tar Heels. He was captain of the team in 1987 and had a brief stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL before injuries ended his career. Mama Maye, Aimee, also had a background in athletics, playing basketball at West Charlotte High School.

So you can see how the family ended up with all four boys playing -- and dominating -- sports.

Basketball was pretty popular in the Maye family, and that's easy to understand for boys growing up in North Carolina. Luke, the oldest at 27, was a star on the Tar Heels from 2015-2019, helping lead UNC to a national championship in 2017. Luke shined when in the spotlight, and had his own One Shining Moment when he drained a game-winning jumper for the Tar Heels in the Elite 8 en route to that title.

Luke was first-team All-ACC in 2018 and second-team in 2019, and his four-year career at UNC earned him a contract from the Milwaukee Bucks after he went undrafted. He spent some time in the G League, but has bounced around internationally the last four years. He currently plays in Japan, but had it written into his contract that he could attend the 2024 NFL Draft to support Drake.

What a big brother. And Maye has two others to lean on.

While the other members of the Maye family went with football or basketball, Cole, 25, took his talents to the diamond. And he didn't stay in North Carolina, either. He pitched for the Florida Gators, and like brother Luke, also won a championship in 2017. He also pitched for the Charlottesville TomSox in the Valley League in Virginia in 2017.

Beau, 22, followed in Luke's footsteps to Chapel Hill and joined the basketball team as a walk-on for the 2022-23 season. However, he didn't return for the 2023-24 campaign. Injuries likely contributed to that, as Beau underwent knee surgery nine times during high school.

And then there is Drake, who played baseball, basketball, and football growing up. He developed into a pretty solid quarterback, winning both ACC Player of the Year and ACC Offensive Player of the Year in 2022,  and he looks the part of an NFL player at 6-foot-4 and 230 lbs. 

While they have all enjoyed their own success, the Maye brothers have always there for each other. Each of them were on hand in Detroit on Thursday night when Drake was drafted by New England.

How did the Maye family celebrate such a momentous occasion? They reportedly rented out The Detroit Athletic Club so they could shoot hoops. It's unclear if any spirited and highly competitive games of H-O-R-S-E broke out, and if Mama Maye was the last one standing, as she was most of the time when the Maye boys were younger.

And a big part of having older brothers is they're going to call you out on some things. Or just call you some things that only older brothers can get away with. That was the case when the brothers roasted him as part of Thursday night's fun.

A little harsh? Maybe. But would you expect anything less from older brothers?

They also taped a much more heartfelt congratulations for Drake, who referred to his trio of brothers as "three of my best friends" on Thursday night.

It's clear that there is a whole lot of love between the four. Maye's three brothers were all with him at Gillette Stadium on Friday when he was formally introduced by the Patriots.

The Maye brothers don't carry the same rambunctious nature of Rob Gronkowski and his brothers, who brought their antics to Foxboro during Gronkowski's career with the Patriots. But we should see plenty of the Maye boys at the home of the Patriots, while younger brother Drake tries to carry the family name into the NFL.