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LONDONDERRY, N.H. - One by one, legions of awestruck campers made their way to Drake Maye to shake his hand and pose for pictures.
Then, after the photo shoot, the collection of wannabe football players took the field to catch passes from the Patriots quarterback.
Over the course of two days last week, that was a familiar scene as Maye spent parts of Thursday and Friday conducting his FlexWork Sports football camp.
Only, there was a striking change from that view compared to previous camps in 2025.
This year, there was a highly visible security detail and police presence on the outskirts watching over Maye.
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The group shadowed the Patriots third-year signal caller much like Christian Gonzalez stuck to Jaxon Smith-Njigba during Super Bowl 60.
One breakout season and a Super Bowl appearance later, and Maye’s star has risen into the stratosphere. It’s soared to the point where security for such events is a must.
“He has rock-star status now,” Londonderry High Athletic Director Jimmy Lauzon, who also serves as the head football coach, said during Friday’s session. “We had so many more requests this year.
“Last year, the camp was going for an hour before he arrived, and it was quiet. This year, the line was down the street. It was pretty awesome.”
Having walked past the line, Lauzon wasn’t exaggerating. It expanded beyond the length of a football field.
It was the same deal the day before at Massachusetts sites in Auburn and Mansfield, where Maye held two more camps, spending roughly three hours at each location throwing the ball around to kids ages 6-to-16, who were broken into roughly 14 groups.
There were upwards of 500 football campers at every stop, hoping to catch a pass from Maye.
From the first moment he jogged on the field, Maye gave a masterclass on how to make every kid’s day.
He was at ease, in his element, smiling at every turn and providing a personal touch.
“There were also a lot of requests for his wife,” Lauzon said of Ann Michael, who has become a celebrity in her own right with her “Bakemas” series on Tik Tok. “She’s pretty high up there, too, with her status.
“But it’s really changed a lot in a year for Drake,” Londonderry’s football coach went on. “Even last year, when we left the field in the golf cart, kids chased him to the car for autographs. So we had to step up (security) this year.”
Handling celebrity, making his presence felt in the community, dealing with the lofty expectations that come with being a first-round pick and taking the team to the Super Bowl in Year 2, would be a tall order for anyone.
Having followed him around Thursday in Mansfield, and Friday in Londonderry amid the controlled chaos of those football camps, Maye makes it all look so easy.
“Hi, I’m Drake, how are you? It’s good to meet you,” the 23-year-old says to everyone crossing his path, flashing his familiar smile, warmly greeting every camper and those who paid a little extra to get a private picture.
At one point, I asked if he’d gotten used to his celebrity status, needing bodyguards at football camps for the first time, and being idolized by so many.
“I think it makes my day. Some of these kids … I mean, I’m getting invited to six-year-old birthday parties,” Maye said. “Some of the coolest parts of playing quarterback and being in the NFL is making some of these kids days.
“Just being out here, getting a chance to put a smile on their face, and put a smile on my face. It’s one of the best things about it. I’m really just trying to be myself. From there, it’s just awesome to be out here with these kids.”
Security presence for Drake Maye in Londonderry for his youth camp.Karen Guregian
Some athletes change with fame and fortune. Given all the adulation, and hero worship, it’s hard for some to stay true to who they were before hitting stardom.
Lauzon hasn’t seen a difference in Maye. He said the Patriots quarterback hadn’t changed a bit since he met him last year at the same event at Lancers Park.
“He seems incredibly down to earth. I don’t think it’s gone to his head,” said Lauzon, who managed to talk some shop with Maye prior to leading him out to the field. “He’s well-grounded. He seems extremely respectful. Everyone’s ‘Ma’am’ or ‘Coach.’’’
Mike Reddy, Mansfield’s football coach, offered a similar observation the day before.
“He’s just first-class. The way he handles interviews, whether the Pats win or lose. The involvement in the community, doing an event like this,” Reddy said Thursday. “He could be home relaxing with camp next week. But he spent the morning in Auburn. He’s spending the afternoon in Mansfield.
“It’s good when the guys at that level, at that pro level, are really good people. And are guys you can point to for your own guys in high school, or in middle school, and say: ‘He’s the guy you want to be like.’'’
It’s hard to argue having watched and covered Maye the past three seasons, and attended several of his events.
Spending time throwing passes to starstruck kids a week before Patriots training camp, certainly left all of them with an indelible memory.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye plays football with campgoers during the Drake Maye Youth Football Camp at Mansfield High School in Mansfield, Mass. on July 16, 2026.Katie Morrison-O'Day
The Maye Way
Prior to taking the field in Londonderry, Maye made a stop in Lauzon’s office.
He spent time with members of Lauzon’s staff, exchanging pleasantries, talking a little football and signing a few autographs.
Lauzon said at one point, one of Maye’s event handlers urged him to stop signing. The Patriots quarterback refused.
“He said you can break their hearts some other time. I’m not breaking their hearts,” Lauzon recalled. “I loved it. Someone said he was under contract and wasn’t supposed to sign, but he didn’t care about that. He’s just a great guy.”
Thirteen-year-old Brady Porter was one of the beneficiaries of Maye’s generosity.
“He signed photos and signed my (football) jersey,” Porter said. “He gave us fist bumps and everything. Some random person told him to stop. He said: ‘No, I’m signing everything.’”
Maye was the same way in Worcester at his Celebrity Softball game in May, which benefitted his charitable foundation.
He went out of his way to make sure all the paying customers were satisfied.
Worth the price of admission
Some folks paid as much as $400 to hang out with Maye during the camp. Each age group essentially scrimmaged with Maye playing quarterback for both sides.
“It was worth every penny,” said 13-year-old Owen Gaffey of Belmont, who attended the camp in Mansfield. “I said to him, ‘Can we do a jersey swap when I get to the NFL?’ He said yes. I play left guard, so hopefully I can go block for him.”
Some kids came armed with hand-written notes, giving them to Maye. A FlexWork Sports staffer said the Patriots star had accumulated hundreds of notes over the course of the two days.
One read: “Thank you Drake Maye. Best QB ever.”
Liam Weihofen, a 12-year-old from Belmont, who caught a pass from his hero, said spending time with Maye was “insane.”
The unbridled joy on the faces of the kids who caught a pass was unmistakeable.
So was the wonder and in some cases disbelief expressed after getting close to the Patriots star and shaking his hand.
“I’m never going to wash that hand again,“ screamed one youngster.
“He’s my idol,” Weihofen said. “It’s a thrilling experience you might not ever have again.”
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye plays football with campgoers during the Drake Maye Youth Football Camp at Mansfield High School in Mansfield, Mass. on July 16, 2026.Katie Morrison-O'Day
The future
Maye is clearly motivated to get back to the Super Bowl, and earn a different result.
He’s hellbent on doing the work to get better, a message he also delivered to the kids.
With Maye steering the ship last season, the Patriots had one of the league’s best offenses. They were tops in passing success rate, tops in explosive play percentage and second in points per game.
That success led to Maye being in the MVP conversation, and having his popularity soar.
With the offense sputtering during the post-season, however, most notably in the Super Bowl, the Patriots braintrust spent the offseason trying to surround Maye with a better cast.
They remade the offensive line, and added star receiver A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs.
So now the pressure’s on Maye show last season wasn’t a fluke, and that he has what it takes to get the Patriots back to the big game, and eventually win it.
He told reporters that his participation in the camps was good prep for what lies ahead in training camp and beyond.
“It was a little bigger splash (at the camps) after making a run like we did,” he said, referring to the receptions he received at each stop. “We got some work we gotta do ourselves. I’m looking forward to getting back with the guys at our camp and getting going.”
Maye looked great at minicamp and given all the dimes he threw last week, seems primed to pick up where he left off.
During a recent appearance on Sirius XM radio, safety Kevin Byard summed up what Maye means to the Patriots. He referred to him as “the most important chess piece that we have.”
Maye even has the security detail to prove it.
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