When the New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye takes the field in the 2026 Super Bowl, he will do so in a stadium that holds unforgettable memories for him and his father.
A decade before he guided New England to a surprising Super Bowl berth, the 23-year-old Maye was just a Carolina Panthers fan with a dream.
“Obviously we’re big Panthers fans,” said Drake’s father, Mark Mayesaid the Charlotte Observer on Thursday, January 29. “So Drake said, ‘Dad, hey, if they’re going to the Super Bowl, can we go?’ Like many parents, I probably said, “If the Panthers make the Super Bowl, we’re going.”
Well, the Panthers did.
Ann Michael Maye has been one of the breakout stars of the NFL Playoffs as her husband, quarterback Drake Maye, has guided the New England Patriots back to the Super Bowl. Ann, 22, has been supporting Drake, 23, from the stands and on the field after games, including on Sunday, Jan. 25, after the Patriots (…)
Carolina earned a trip to the Super Bowl in 2016, where they faced the Denver Broncos at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, the same site as the 2026 Super Bowl.
So Mark took Drake, who was a 13-year-old high school student at the time, all the way to California for the big game. However, there was one big problem: they didn’t have a ticket.
Mark eventually got some through some unconventional means, leading to some trepidation that the father-son trip to the Super Bowl might be ruined.
“We had to go meet a guy somewhere,” Mark recalled. “And we just hoped the tickets were real.”
Fortunately, the tackles were legitimate, and the pair sat high up in the end zone to watch the Panthers eventually lose to the Broncos 24-10.
Drake and the Patriots are hoping for a better result when they take on the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, February 8.
“Amazing how it worked out,” Mark said of the match.
The Maye family will be well represented at the big game, with Mark, his wife, aimeeand his other three children – Luke, Cole i beautiful —they all plan to attend. It will be a close call for Luke, 28, who currently plays professional basketball in Japan.
“He expects it to arrive on Sunday morning and then leave on Monday morning,” Mark said. “Anyway, that’s the last we’ve heard.”
The Patriots shocked the NFL by finishing with a 14-3 record and winning the AFC East for the first time since 2019, which preceded their AFC Championship victory over the Broncos on Sunday, January 25.
“Like everybody, I’m surprised they made the Super Bowl,” Mark admitted. “Now I thought they were going to be better than people expected. I’m a little more optimistic, maybe a little biased, about all my kids’ teams and always have been. Honestly, I wouldn’t have been surprised if they made the playoffs. But to make the Super Bowl? That’s pretty hard to do.”
Mark noted that Drake and the Patriots were “lucky” to beat the Broncos, 10-7, on a snowy and windy day in denver to earn their spot in the Super Bowl.
“It wasn’t pretty this Sunday,” Mark said. “All the guys and I were like, ‘We don’t care if we win 3-2 or 50-49.’ Well, this one was almost 3-2.”