
Patriots Quarterback Drake Maye's Wife Responds to Gisele Bündchen Comparisons
Drake Maye and Ann Michael Maye have a winning love story—and it dates back to their tween years.
And even though the New England Patriots came up short in Super Bowl LX, losing to the Seattle Seahawks 29-13, their 23-year-old quarterback—now a 2026 ESPY Award nominee for Best Breakthrough Athlete and Best NFL Player—knew his home-team support was rock solid.
Because, back when Drake was just a kid who loved football, Ann Michael Hudson was with him every step of the way.
"It's special,” the athlete told reporters during Super Bowl LX Opening Night Feb. 2. “Our journey together starting in middle school, and her watching my middle school football games playing quarterback, to now getting a chance to watch me in the Super Bowl. I wouldn’t rather do it with anybody else.”
The Huntersville, N.C., natives didn't even have to spend any significant amount of time long-distance, as both attended the University of North Carolina, where Drake played quarterback until getting selected by the Patriots in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. While the athlete went pro before graduation, Ann Michael, 22, received her degree in business administration in May 2025.
One month after she graduated, the two tied the knot in their home state at the Grandfather Golf and Country Club in Linville.
“What a night,” the duo captioned the joint June 22 Instagram post that featured photos of their outdoor wedding. “Cheers to forever I love you!”
Since getting hitched, Drake has been open about the perks of married life.
“Getting married is one of the best decisions I've made in my life," he said at the same event. "Good things happen when you get married, and I think that's the case so far in my life."
Instagram/Ann Michael Maye
He added, "What a blessing it's been to have Ann Michael, and to come home to someone who cares about my day.”
He’s also “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.”
Drake also emphasized how "there are so many ways that marriage has helped" him this year, later joking that Ann Michael is "the boss" and how he has to make sure to pick up after himself around the house.
However, the athlete noted that he never has to worry about coming home to an empty plate after a long practice. After all, the influencer has gone viral for her “Bakemas” series on TikTok—earning her half a million followers—which saw her baking a new dish for the first 25 days of December.
Instagram/Ann Michael Maye
Drake added, "I don't take for granted how special she is to my career and my life.”
And he even gave his teammates a (tush) push when it came to walking down the aisle.
“My teammates have the right to whatever they choose but I would definitely advise them to eventually get married,” he explained to reporters. “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.”
“I know my teammates, some of them are experiencing different parts of their life,” he continued. “I chose to get married young, and I don’t regret it one bit.”
For a look inside more NFL quarterbacks' love lives, read on…
(Originally published Feb. 8, 2026, at 3 a.m. PT)
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
View original source — E! Online ↗


