{"id":430394,"date":"2026-01-24T14:21:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-24T14:21:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/430394\/"},"modified":"2026-01-24T14:21:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T14:21:07","slug":"behind-new-england-patriots-qbs-viral-rise-in-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/430394\/","title":{"rendered":"Behind New England Patriots QB\u2019s viral rise in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Melissa Lucier is a longtime business owner whose gift and home-design shop in Westwood, Massachusetts, opened more than a decade before the New England Patriots<\/a>\u2019 23-year-old quarterback Drake Maye<\/a> was born.<\/p>\n

The store recently underwent a football-themed makeover.<\/p>\n

\u201cAren\u2019t we all beyond excited that the Pats are back?\u201d Lucier said, explaining how the front window of the 1,500-square-foot space is now painted red, white and blue and includes a rendering of the back of Maye, in his blue Patriots jersey and silver helmet, with his right index finger raised in celebration.<\/p>\n

The \u201cA-Maye-Zing\u201d window came to life thanks to local artist Joan Aylward, and showcases how Maye\u2019s sudden rise to stardom — which has also catapulted his wife Ann Michael Maye — has galvanized the region.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need all the feel-good stories. The Mayes are bringing us all happiness, and I just want to share in that,\u201d Lucier said.<\/p>\n

While Maye\u2019s MVP-caliber season has led the Patriots to the AFC Championship Game against the Denver Broncos<\/a> on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, CBS), it\u2019s his aw-shucks personality that has spawned a spirited following among fans. There\u2019s a \u201cDrake Maye<\/a> Lover\u201d Instagram account that has more than 300,000 followers, along with a nickname — Drake \u201cDrake Maye<\/a>\u201d Maye — that confused teammates at first but is starting to catch on. In addition, Maye\u2019s No. 10 jersey is second in sales this season, behind the Buffalo Bills<\/a> QB Josh Allen<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Though Lucier said jokingly, \u201cAnn Michael might be even a little more popular!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ann Michael went viral when she baked something different every day of December, leading up to Christmas — also known as \u201cBakemas\u201d — and posted on TikTok. She often shared her baked goods with Maye\u2019s Patriots teammates, and it was the talk of the locker room.<\/p>\n

But she had social media buzzing again last Sunday, when she wore the increasingly popular \u201cI [heart emoji] Drake Maye<\/a>\u201d shirt to the win over the Houston Texans<\/a>. It started as a popular fan T-shirt, but is now officially licensed through the NFL Players Association and sold in the team Pro Shop — another reminder of how fans have embraced him.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody loves Drake,\u201d Patriots receiver Kayshon Boutte<\/a> said. \u201cThe shirt is cool, and everybody does their own little thing, but it\u2019s a great way to support him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Teammates say amid the success and fanfare, Maye has remained the same humble guy he was during his rookie year. Though Maye notices the love.<\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciate how the fans have embraced me and took me into New England as a Southern kid. I\u2019ve just enjoyed it,\u201d said Maye, who was born and raised in North Carolina. \u201cI try to give them something to cheer about more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Drake \u2018Drake Maye\u2019 Maye<\/p>\n

Boutte has become one of Maye\u2019s go-to targets, as evidenced by his spectacular one-handed 32-yard touchdown catch last Sunday. But they hadn\u2019t connected on one detail that puzzled Boutte earlier in the season.<\/p>\n

In the Patriots\u2019 win over the New York Giants<\/a> on Dec. 1, Boutte was humorously heard on the sideline asking teammates, \u201cDoes anyone know what they mean when they\u2019re like \u2018Drake … Drake Maye<\/a> … Maye?\u2019 What the heck does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

Turns out, he is far from alone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still haven\u2019t figured it out,\u201d said Patriots starting right tackle Morgan Moses<\/a>, who, at 34, is the longest-tenured player on the roster. \u201cMaybe because I\u2019m old, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

The nickname picked up momentum on social media, specifically from the \u201cDrake Maye<\/a> Lover\u201d Instagram account that currently has 345,000 followers, and the \u201cDrake Maye<\/a> Lover\u201d account on \u201cX\u201d with about 59,000 followers. They are run by the same person — a 22-year-old lifetime Patriots fan who said in a direct message they prefer to keep their identity confidential.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn May 2024, I started it as a joke that my friends and I found funny. It was just supposed to be an inside joke at first,\u201d the creator wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce the Patriots and Drake started off playing well this year, I really started to see some traction. But there\u2019s been a pretty loyal following since the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n

The following was evident by the fourth video posted, which compared Maye to Brady during Maye\u2019s rookie season when the Patriots ultimately finished with a 4-13 record. It was viewed more than 1 million times.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought there might be something here, but I never expected it to get as big as it\u2019s gotten,\u201d the creator wrote.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Drake \u201cDrake Maye<\/a>\u201d Maye nickname originated among those engaging in the posts.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just something people in my comments and I would say as a joke. We took inspiration from some other athletes who had similar nicknames in the past,\u201d the creator wrote.<\/p>\n

Maye, in a December interview with NBC, said teammates have started referring to him that way.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. It gets you a laugh,\u201d Maye said. \u201cNobody really knows what it means.\u201d<\/p>\n

That hasn\u2019t stopped players and coaches from putting their own spin on it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI try to say it at least once a day, and I struggle,\u201d Patriots quarterbacks coach Ashton Grant said jokingly. \u201cIs it \u2018Drake Maye<\/a> … Drake Maye<\/a>\u2019? Is it \u2018Drake Drake … Maye Maye\u2019? My wife makes jokes about it all the time. Josh [McDaniels] asked me where it comes from, and I said it\u2019s because he\u2019s so simple. He has the most simple nickname in America; his nickname is his name.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat matches his personality. He\u2019s a competitive guy, fiery guy. But when I saw that, I\u2019m like, \u2018This is fitting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Bakemas\u2019 takes off<\/p>\n

On Dec. 1, Ann Michael Maye, 22, posted the first video from the family kitchen on TikTok.<\/p>\n

\u201cHappy game day!\u201d she said, wearing a Christmas-themed apron. \u201cI\u2019m going to do a thing in December called \u2018Bakemas\u2019 — baking something new every single day of December until Christmas. Today is Day 1.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first recipe was Patriots-themed chocolate chip cookies, with red and blue M&M\u2019s, and she concluded the video saying, \u201cGo Pats! Happy Bakemas.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was an instant hit.<\/p>\n

More than 2,000 comments followed, some humorous, such as: \u201cDrake has a big game tonight. Don\u2019t give him too many cookies; it may upset his stomach.\u201d Others referred to her as the \u201cqueen of the north.\u201d The comments added to the popularity of \u201cBakemas.\u201d<\/p>\n

By January, NBC10 Boston turned it into a 10-minute show called \u201cBeyond Bakemas with Ann Michael Maye.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first episode, much like her first TikTok, featured Patriots-themed chocolate chip cookies with red and blue M&M\u2019s. Ann Michael was joined by Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, who, at one point, asked how she has adjusted to increased fame.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m definitely not used to it. It kind of blew up really fast,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m used to Drake having it, you know? Everywhere we go, people are asking him for pictures and things, and I\u2019m the one taking the photo. Now that people want me, it\u2019s so weird. It\u2019s crazy. But it\u2019s really cool. Everyone has been like super nice, and it\u2019s kind of fun to experience all of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Long before that, however, she had won over the Patriots\u2019 offensive linemen.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe O-line is like the main recipient of my baked goods,\u201d she said on the second episode, this time alongside former Patriots center David Andrews<\/a> as they baked apple cinnamon oat bars. \u201cOccasionally, they\u2019ll write me a thank-you note: \u2018Just keep feeding us. We need to protect your husband, so we need to keep on the extra weight. If you need a bodyguard, we\u2019ll be your bodyguard.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

In December, Drake said his favorite baked good was her peppermint chocolate chip cookies.<\/p>\n

Grant, the quarterbacks coach, realized how quickly \u201cBakemas\u201d had spread during the team\u2019s road trip to face the Baltimore Ravens<\/a> on Dec. 21. Grant\u2019s uncle is a teacher in Baltimore, and one of his students was a big fan.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, he brought me a bunch of baked goods [from the student] to bring back for Ann Michael,\u201d Grant said. \u201cIt\u2019s reaching different parts of the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grant, who rates salted chocolate chip cookies as his top choice, made it sound like the quarterback room is a bakery at times.<\/p>\n

\u201cDrake brings them in and then drops them off into the O-line room when we\u2019re done. Then, [assistant coach] Doug Marrone comes back with an empty [container],\u201d he said, smiling.<\/p>\n

Some linemen, such as Moses, ribbed rookie left tackle Will Campbell<\/a> for getting preferential treatment.<\/p>\n

In one viral social media clip, Campbell was visiting the Mayes on the final day of \u201cBakemas\u201d when Ann Michael was making cinnamon rolls. Drake referred to Ann Michael as the \u201cqueen of Bakemas\u201d as Campbell sat nearby to give it a \u201c10 out of 10\u201d rating.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf something ever makes its way in here, a favorite part is getting to try it, for sure,\u201d said veteran tight end Austin Hooper<\/a>, who re-signed with the team as a free agent in the offseason in part because he wanted to play with Maye. \u201cIt\u2019s good stuff. She knows what she\u2019s doing in there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite success, he\u2019s still the \u2018same guy\u2019<\/p>\n

After the Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Chargers<\/a> in the wild-card round of the playoffs Jan. 11, Maye spoke about the support he received from his family that night.<\/p>\n

His parents, Mark and Aimee, attend most games, and for just the third time all season, all three of his brothers (Luke, Beau and Cole) were there.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you can\u2019t forget Ann Michael,\u201d Maye said with a smile.<\/p>\n

One of Maye\u2019s first declarations as the Patriots\u2019 No. 3 pick in 2024 was: \u201cThis is my squad. If you\u2019re getting me, you\u2019re getting them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Teammates say that humble, family-first approach has never wavered.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven from last year, whether it\u2019s four wins or 1769264467 14 wins in the regular season, he\u2019s remained the same person,\u201d Hooper said. \u201cOnce the external things came and everyone was like, \u2018Drake Maye<\/a>, Drake Maye<\/a>!\u2019, it\u2019s not like he changed his entire process. Drake hasn\u2019t changed who he is since he got here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tight end Hunter Henry<\/a>, 31, who is one of Maye\u2019s closest friends, cites that as a primary reason Maye has earned widespread respect in the locker room.<\/p>\n

Moses, the veteran offensive tackle, noted the relationships Maye has cultivated with players and staff members. He calls him a \u201cnatural-born leader.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s humble, man. I\u2019ve had a chance to meet his parents, and obviously, the apple doesn\u2019t fall far from the tree,\u201d Moses said. \u201cTo see everything flourish for him has been amazing to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the regular season, Maye led the NFL in completion percentage (72%), passer rating (113.5) and yards per attempt (8.93), while his 450 rushing yards ranked fourth among NFL quarterbacks. His 37-yard run in the wild-card round of the playoffs set the franchise postseason record for a quarterback.<\/p>\n

In helping the Patriots to 16 victories, Maye is tied with Russell Wilson<\/a> (2013), Kurt Warner (1999) and Dan Marino (1984) for the most wins by a first- or second-year quarterback in NFL history. Wilson, Warner and Marino each reached a Super Bowl, with Wilson and Warner winning a championship.<\/p>\n

And though Maye is just one win away from equaling that impressive feat, he hasn\u2019t let the success — or sudden celebrity — get in the way of his team-first approach.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s the same guy I met back in late January, early February. The same things that matter to him then, matter to him now,\u201d Grant said. \u201cHe broke the record for completion percentage for the franchise, I congratulated him, and he didn\u2019t care about that. He said, \u2018Congratulate me when we win the Super Bowl.\u2019 So, he doesn\u2019t care about the individual accolades, doesn\u2019t care about the MVP hype.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Melissa Lucier is a longtime business owner whose gift and home-design shop in Westwood, Massachusetts,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":430395,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[436],"tags":[49,48,179374,161226,514,82],"class_list":["post-430394","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-drake-maye-sports-football-player-player-statscom-1286803","tag-new-england-patriots-sports-football-team-team-statscom-348","tag-nfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430394","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=430394"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430394\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/430395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=430394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=430394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=430394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}