Who Are the Parents of Drake Maye? A Glimpse Into the Childhood of UNC’s QB

Drake Maye, UNC QB, is a top-pick candidate in the 2024 NFL Draft. He won ACC Player of the Year in 2022 and racked up over 8,000 passing yards in college. Some even compare him to NFL greats like Justin Herbert because of his strong arm and athleticism. But where does Maye get his athletic genes from? 

Interestingly, his parents are well-known sports players in the North Carolina state, which is reflected in Drake Maye’s athletic abilities. In fact, it reflects on his whole family. So, let us explore more about Drake Maye’s parents and his family, popularly known as UNC’s Royal Family.

Meet Mark Maye and Aimee Maye, Drake Maye’s parents

Drake Maye’s father, Mark Maye, was a standout QB for North Carolina, leading the team in offense and passing in 1986 and 1987. He set several records, including the longest pass play in school history and most passing yards in a game. One of his most memorable moments while playing for Tar Heels came in 1987 with his 93-yard touchdown strike to Randy Marriott in a win over Georgia Tech.

Maye was also successful off the field, earning Academic All-ACC honors twice with a 3.2 GPA in business administration. After a brief stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he returned to Chapel Hill as a graduate assistant and earned his MBA. However, North Carolina holds a special place in Mark’s heart for another reason besides football.

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Mark met the love of his life and Drake’s mother, Aimee, who was also an exceptional basketball player in high school. She earned Mecklenburg County girl’s player of the Year honors and would often humble her sons with 3-pointers in their backyard. In an interview with WRAL, Mark credits Aimee for transferring the athletic genes to Drake, one of the reasons behind his success. But Drake isn’t the only son with an athletic background in this family.

Know why Drake Maye’s family is known as UNC’s Royal family

Drake has three brothers, Luke (6’8), Beau (6’8), and Cole (6’7) and he is the shortest (6’4) and the youngest among all. The four brothers grew up playing together in their backyard with their parents. They would often engage in sports like football, basketball, and baseball. While Luke and Beau played basketball with Luke becoming a part of the 2017 National Championship team, Cole was a part of the 2017 Baseball National Champion Florida Gators team. Because of their athletic achievements, the Maye family is also known as UNC’s Royal Family.

However, growing up wasn’t too easy for either the boys or for the parents. In an interview with Inside Carolina, Mark revealed how things remained under control for him. He said, “They fought a good bit. There was a lot of wrestling. Fortunately, with Luke being the big brother and being really big early, he could have been a real problem for them. He really set the tone for not being that big brother to beat up on everybody.” Safe to say, Drake was always set up to be an athletic success, thanks to his family. What are your thoughts? Share with us in the comments! 

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