CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye was named the Tar Heels’ starter Sunday evening for their opener Saturday night versus Florida A&M, and Tuesday evening, he was made available to the media for the first time since winning the QB1 job.
Maye fielded questions from assembled media at Kenan Football Center focusing on a variety of things, including his reaction to being named the starter, what his father told him after getting the news, why he won the job, his approach moving forward, and much more.
Above is the full video of Maye’s presser, and below is the entire transcript of what he had to say:
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Q: What was it like when you found out?
MAYE: Obviously, it felt great. Just all the work you put in, and just to get a chance to get out there and play Saturday, I’m excited to be out there under the lights. Back in action, it's come fast since last season, but I’m glad it's here.
Q: Who told you?
MAYE: Coach Longo told me on Sunday night. We had a meeting obviously filled with emotions. It's been a blast since I've been here In, ready to win some games this year.
Q: How did you feel going into the meeting with Longo?
MAYE: I would probably say I was kind of anxious. Just, either way, Jacolby is a great player. We've been competing since I stepped on campus. Yeah, I was a little anxious but excited for What the future holds I had a shot at playing regardless of what happened.
Q: How did your dad react?
MAYE: You know, my dad obviously congratulated me, but obviously, he would stay saying you got a lot of work to do. This is just another step you got. You have to play. That's the main deal. You got to go out there and play and perform and do it when it counts.
Q: What do you think won you the job?
MAYE: Overall, I think my decision making and my ability to kind of just do it all. Knowing what throw I want to throw, making decisions to the right guy, who you got to throw to. I feel like, at the end of the day, I’m going to go out there and compete and do whatever it takes to win. That’s the competitiveness in me, growing up with three brothers, just trying to survive and do what I can to win and get through.
Also, I think building relationships with the guys is really important especially up front with the o-line. So as camp went through, just building relationships with new guys. Obviously, we are going to have a lot of new guys out there playing on Saturday, so just trying to build that relationship and build that bond.
Q: Where did the competitiveness come from?
MAYE: It’s been there my whole life. Growing up second place trophies or participation trophies really doesn’t mean anything. In our house, second was the first loser. That’s kind of ingrained in me, and I try to do that in every part of my life, and just carry that with me,
Q: How did your teammates react?
MAYE: They were all professional. It was just let's get to work and go out there and show it. Obviously, it’s a bigger deal than it seemed to be, but we just kind of just continued with practice today.
Q: How is it different now that you won the job?
MAYE: I wouldn’t say it's any different. I just try to take the approach the same way when I was competing to be that guy. But obviously, it’s a little different going out with the ones every time. Just keep getting better, get more reps and make plays and get it to the guys who can make plays.
Q: On the impact of his father:
MAYE: Growing up, my dad was my head football coach until around middle school. He was always my quarterback coach, taught me how to throw, and he wanted at least one of us to play football, and I became the one. But even the small things, drops, mechanics, really anything. He’s done it at this level, and I listen to him about whatever his two cents I try to take it in. I might ignore a little bit of it.
Q: How often does your father give his two cents?
MAYE: I think it's been a little more distant since I got to college. He just let me go and figure it out. He’s not in meetings and he doesn’t really know the extent to how we progress. But the little things like the drops and mechanics he will always be there giving his two cents and its usually pretty accurate,
Q: Have you talked with your brother Luke?
MAYE: Yeah, I faced time him yesterday. Obviously, he’s in Spain. It's like a six-hour difference. It’s tough to communicate throughout the day. But he was excited for me we always talk about one thing, you just got to go out and do it. Obviously, the work he’s put in throughout his career is an inspiration for me. Just seeing what he has to say and listening to his way of doing things helped him out and will be beneficial for me to follow.
Q: How did your family react?
MAYE: I think they have been supportive, whether it's sports or not. Obviously, sports are a big part of our family It all goes back in the day and just competing. They’ve been with me since day one, and just go out there and winning and making plays is all I can do.
Q: What were you and your brothers most competitive in?
MAYE: I think playing basketball and having four boys is pretty competitive. Ping Pong nowadays because we get older, our parents want us to keep off each other physically. And honestly, our grades are competitive because my mom and dad instilled being great in the classroom before being an athlete, so just competing to bring the best report card home.
Q: On Mack Brown saying if he doesn’t produce, he won't play:
MAYE: No doubt, it's all about production. Just taking it each play at a time and doing what I can to win the play, and whether it's positive or negative, just complete the pass and on to the next one.
Q: What will you do now that you are the starter?
MAYE: Just study up on FAMU, and like I said, we have a lot of new faces in the starting lineup, so keep working after practice, staying after practice, and making throws with the two guys in my class JJ (Jones) and Gavo (Gavin Blackwell). They are going to be out there; they are going to be good. Just making that player connection.
Q: Have you thought about what it will be like to be the starting QB for UNC?
MAYE: I haven't really thought about it or put it into perspective. But I’m excited. Home-state kid, this is something I always dreamed of, going out there in that Carolina blue and putting on for the state, and try to make some noise.
Q: How have your classmates reacted?
MAYE: I’ve gotten a few congratulations going to class. Some people in my class have been asking me when they were going to name a starter. But I haven't had many interactions with my classmates; it's just the second day since it happened. But I'm more than excited to go out there and perform for them.
Q: What got into you at Mack Brown's house during the ping-pong tournament?
MAYE: Just win the table. Just staying on. I think the worst thing in sports is having to watch someone else play. It's hard watching other people play, whether it's ping-pong or whatever it is, so just giving that paddle up is hard to live with.
Q: Who has given you the most trouble?
MAYE: Throughout the fall camp, a player named John Copenhaver has given me some trouble. Connor Harrel is pretty good, and so those two guys. Coach Galloway can play, but he's not on that level.
Q: Would you say your competitiveness helped you with the QB battle?
MAYE: I would say I just worried about myself throughout the process. You can't really gauge other than how you do in practice if you are winning and it's out of my control to make the decision, so it's different aspects of competing, but obviously winning over the team and performing in practice was a big deal.
Q: Have you met with Coach Brown since the announcement?
MAYE: I have not. Coach Brown told me in practice and after practice, but I haven't really sat down to meet with him yet.
