The New England Patriots are preparing for another Super Bowl appearance, but this time it’s not Tom Brady bringing them to the big game. It’s 23-year-old Drake Maye in his first Super Bowl appearance during his second season as the Patriots’s quarterback. During a recent press conference, however, Maye touched on his marriage to longtime girlfriend Ann Michael Maye. Drake and Ann are childhood sweethearts, having been together since 2015. The couple both attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and were married June 2025.

Maye spoke glowingly of marriage and encouraged his teammates to do the same. “My teammates have a right to do whatever they choose. I definitely would advise them to eventually get married. It’s one of the best things in life,” he said. “It’s one of the best things I’ve experienced in my life. There’s no better feeling than coming home to a wife that loves you and cares for you and worried about your best interests.” While 23 is considered young, especially for someone so early in a promising football career, Maye said he doesn’t regret anything. “I know my teammates, some of them are experiencing different parts of their life in what stages. But I chose to get married young and I don’t regret it one bit.” He called Ann a “blessing.” “What a blessing it’s been to have Ann Michael, and to come home to someone who cares about my day. [I’m] able to hear something outside football. I listen to what she’s done today, and just knowing that there’s a constant in my life, and that’s my wife,” he said. “Every day, I come home to somebody who’s herself and cares about me outside of who I am on the field.”

Ann has gained her own following as her expert baking skills have brought her plenty of attention online. She has shared recipes on TikTok, where she has over 200,000 followers. Maye has been supportive of his wife’s growing fame. “I think it happened fast… In the last couple weeks it’s taken off,” he said at an interview about her TikToks. “But, I think it’s her just being herself. She’s been awesome. She’s been a great addition up here for me,” he said. “She’s just being herself on social media. [She’s] baking for me and I’m tryna bring some extra baked goods in here, give some to the offensive line or something. But, she’s just being herself, and I love her for it. I tell her that all the time, ‘Don’t change for anything.’ I think she deserves all the support.”