Drake Maye's college coach believes quarterback can win a Super Bowl with Patriots

FOXBORO -- Drake Maye is the new face of the Patriots franchise, with high hopes surrounding the quarterback after New England drafted him third overall. While many point to Maye's unreal talent as the reason he'll succeed in the NFL, his former head coach believes it has more to do with the head on the QB's shoulders.

Maye got to learn under North Carolina head football coach Mack Brown for the last two years, and Brown sounds even more impressed with Maye the person than he is with Maye the quarterback. Given that Maye is a pretty talented quarterback, that says a lot about the 21-year-old's character.

"There has never been a better person, number one," Brown said of Maye in a chat with WBZ-TV's Dan Roche. "Tremendous student, he has a wonderful family, and so much integrity. He's been dating the same girl since the seventh grade."

Brown says that the Patriots and New England fans are getting an extremely high-character and an incredibly driven player in Maye, one he believes can return the Patriots franchise to its glory days.

It may take a few years, but Brown believes that Maye will eventually bring a Lombardi Trophy of his own to Foxboro.

"Patriots fans, regardless of what happens in the early years, this guy is a guy who can take you back to a Super Bowl," said Brown. "Which is what you all are used to and what you expect. Just support him. You can't do better; he's the best.

"You don't even know how lucky you are, but great times are ahead," added Brown.  

Winning a championship is all Drake Maye cares about  

Maye comes from a family of competitive athletes, and that upbringing has instilled a desire to win deep inside the quarterback. Maye's father, Mark, was a star quarterback at UNC, and two of his three older brothers won championships in college.

That's something that Maye is reminded about almost daily, and has lit a fire inside the quarterback.

"So he has that obsession to get a ring. He is really competitive," said Brown. "He's very polite and will give you the 'Aww shucks' and 'Thank you all so much' and then will go and try to beat you down. ... Whether it's Ping-Pong or pickleball, he is going to fight to win.

"His dream now will be to win a Super Bowl," added Brown. "He has a chip on his shoulder. When he wins a Super Bowl, he's going to walk around holding that thing out so his brothers can see."

It won't take long for Drake Maye to break out in the NFL

Maye's upside is through the roof, but many wondered how long it will take him to reach his ceiling at the next level. Brown once again reiterated that Maye has everything it takes to win a Super Bowl in the NFL, and said that he's coming from an NFL-style offense at North Carolina.

"The height, the length, the athletic ability, the accurate throws. He is also a game manager and is really smart," said Brown. "He is going to make really good decisions and he is fun to watch. The fans will watch him compete so hard and they will pull for him."

Brown added that his senior advisor at UNC, Clyde Christensen, has coached quarterbacks like Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck, and most recently, Tom Brady in Tampa Bay, during his career as a QBs coach in the NFL. Maye also had former Cleveland Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens on the UNC staff as the team's run game coordinator and tight ends coach.

"I think because he's been around all these NFL coaches, I don't think [it will take him long,]" said Brown. "Him and Sam Howell would sit and watch NFL video for hours and try to stay ahead of the game. We were running last year an offense that is an NFL offense. I think he'll be ready to go."

Brown pointed out that guys like Troy Aikman and Peyton Manning struggled early in their careers but didn't need much time to turn into great quarterbacks in the NFL.

"I'm so excited for [Drake] and the city of Boston, because it's the perfect fit," said Brown.

Drake Maye is a great kid with a great family

While he is eager to get a ring of his own to rub it in his older brothers' faces, Maye is also a compassionate fella.

"I think his upside on the football field is so good. When he walks into the room he has that it factor that everyone stops and turns. Everyone wants to meet him and be around him, part of his life. He's the same way in the locker room," said Brown.

Brown said that was evident throughout his two seasons with the Tar Heels when Maye would turn down NIL offers that didn't include his teammates.

"He would never take a deal or an opportunity with a company without making sure other players would be involved. If someone came in and said they wanted him to do an ad, he wouldn't do it without his offensive line involved. That's who he is," said Brown. "He competes but team is first. The fans all love him and they'll love his reaction."

Drake Maye is his own biggest critic

As with any rookie quarterback, there are going to be bumps along the way. There will be bad throws, poor decisions, incorrect reads -- everything you'd expect out of a rookie in the NFL.

Fans and the media will get on Maye, but Brown says the quarterback is his own biggest critic.

"He is really, really hard on himself. All of us are at a high level," noted Brown. "But he is improving in that area because we've told him he has to let that go and move on. But if he throws three touchdowns and there is a tipped ball that is intercepted, he's going to beat himself up for that tipped ball. 

"That's who he is," said Brown. "He wants perfection."