Drake Maye's parents talk growing up a Tar Heel, NIL and transfer rumors
Posted December 28, 2022 4:38 p.m. EST
Updated December 28, 2022 7:51 p.m. EST
San Diego — "I'm a Carolina kid," Drake Maye said after the ACC Championship game in Charlotte.
North Carolina had just lost to Clemson 39-10. A disappointing finish no doubt, but a game no one expected UNC to be in before the season. Maye's breakout year propelled Carolina to national relevance, even playoff and Heisman conversation, yet in the new world of NIL the elephant in the room was Maye's future. Rumors were starting to circulate that Maye could be in play for a program like Alabama where he originally committed before flipping to UNC.
"It means something wearing that Carolina blue," Maye continued after being asked about his commitment to UNC. "I love this place, these fans have been great, it's been a heck of a season."
Maye has never wavered publicly on his commitment to UNC, even as Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said on 93.7 the Fan that he heard two schools were offering Maye $5 million to transfer. Maye's own coach, Mack Brown even addressed it.
"Drake got offered a lot of money to go to different schools and it's tampering," Brown said in a Dec. 19 press conference. "It's one hundred percent tampering, but he got offered money. He decided to stay."
To understand why Maye stayed all you have to do is look in the stands where you'll find his parents Mark and Aimee Maye at every game.
"I know people talk about their school is like a family," Aimee said before the Holiday Bowl in San Diego. "It really is at Carolina."
Mark was Carolina's starting quarterback in 1986 and 1987. Aimee was a great athlete in her own right playing high school basketball in the Charlotte area. She was the Mecklenberg County girls player of the year as a senior. They met each other in Chapel Hill.
"He's very fortunate," Mark Maye laughed. "He didn't get a lot of my genes. He got more of Aimee's I guess."
He may have gotten his athleticism from his mom, but he got his competitiveness from his three older brothers. Luke Maye won a national championship with the Carolina basketball team, Beau Maye is on the basketball team now and Cole Maye was a pitcher for the University of Florida.
"Luke I think he wore a Tyler Hansbrough shirt probably one hundred days one of his elementary years," Mark laughed.
When you see that amount of Carolina blue in one Charlotte household, it's easy to understand why any outside offers wouldn't tempt Drake.
"Drake never entered the portal," Mark said. "We don't really even know what was out there to be honest with you."
"There was obviously rumors," Aimee said. "All we heard was from like friends of ours 'oh I heard this', it was never any concrete thing from any specific sources."
Before the Holiday Bowl, Brown pointed out that seven ACC quarterbacks are transferring. He's thankful for Drake and that they have a fit.
"He's a special young guy," Brown said. "That loves his school."
