Drake Maye describes what went through his head during left-handed touchdown throw
North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye used his left hand for his basketball-themed finger roll celebration as he reached the end zone on his game-winning rushing touchdown against Appalachian State in Week 2. But he took things to a whole new level in Week 4.
Maye threw an impressive left-handed touchdown pass this past weekend in the Tar Heels’ 41-24 win over Pittsburgh that left fans’ jaws on the floor. And following the game, Maye pulled back the curtain on his magical play that extended the Tar Heels’ lead heading into halftime.
“Just had the finger roll, now lefty, I guess something’s working. I may need to switch from right,” Maye joked. “My only touchdown pass tonight was lefty but hey, just playing football out there. I should have gave the football, I shouldn’t have even pulled it to begin with but sometimes that happens. Sometimes mistakes turn into no, no, no, no, no, yes, you know what I’m saying? So it’s one of those plays and I’m just glad it worked out.”
Maye delivered two rushing touchdowns on the night as well for North Carolina, but every single play in the game paled in comparison to his lefty touchdown toss.
It was 2nd & 4 on the seven-yard line and the Tar Heels ran a zone read option play where Maye kept the ball. As Maye mentioned he made the wrong read, finding himself getting tackled in the backfield by a Pitt defender while running to his left when wide receiver Kobe Paysour caught his eye.
“I just figured I wasn’t getting anywhere, so trying to figure something [out] whether it’s throw it away or seeing he was wide open in the end zone so I’m just glad he caught it. Just threw kind of a duck up there, it wasn’t spinning at all it was just kind of a pancake,” Maye admitted.
It may not have been the prettiest pass, but Maye’s non-dominant hand got the job done on Saturday, as he was also asked if he’s ever attempted a left-handed pass before following the game.
“That I could remember, I remember throwing a couple maybe, I don’t know if I’ve thrown one,” Maye said. “I know I threw a two-handed chest pass against Oregon, I’m not sure if I’d try to throw a lefty one yet, I think I’ve had a couple chances and I’ve always told myself might as well throw it out there lefty. But just kind of a in-the-moment thing that kind of happened.”
Maye comes from an athletic family with a father who played quarterback at North Carolina and a mother who played basketball for the Tar Heels as well. His brothers are all currently or were formerly collegiate athletes too, and if anyone aspires to make dazzling throws like Maye one day, he’s thankfully laid out the blueprint.
“Yeah that’s what I said in the postgame interview on the field, just part of growing up playing sports. Using my left hand whether it’s a left-handed pass or dishing it off to my older brother Beau under the basket with the left hand, just different stuff and just being able to play different sports growing up. I advise all little kids or all young kids out there playing don’t stick to one sport, just play them all and see which one you find out is the best,” Maye said.
It’s too soon to tell if Maye has inspired a new generation of ambidextrous quarterbacks, but he has led the Tar Heels to a hot 4-0 start as they head into their well-deserved bye week before taking on Syracuse in October.