UNC football QB Drake Maye apologizes after taking a jab at NC State

David Thompson, The Fayetteville Observer
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UNC football freshman quarterback Drake Maye issued an apology Tuesday evening after taking a shot at NC State earlier that day.

While meeting with the media to discuss UNC's upcoming game Saturday against Notre Dame, Maye was asked about the success of former quarterback Sam Howell and why he elected to stay in-state and play for the Tar Heels.

"I didn't want to miss out on the home state, seeing Sam being a hometown kid, too. ... Whether you want to admit it or not, growing up in Carolina, you're gonna be a Carolina fan," Maye began his answer, before taking a jab at the school 25 miles southeast of Chapel Hill. "Some people may say State, but really people who go to State just can't get into Carolina."

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He added that "At the end of the day, playing for Carolina is what a lot of people from North Carolina want to do, so I didn't want to miss out on that, and obviously the family history." His father, Mark, played quarterback for the Tar Heels from 1983 to '87, and his brother Luke was part of the 2017 men's basketball national championship team.

A few hours later, he issued an apology on Twitter, writing, "I made a remark today about NC State, and I want to apologize. I was answering a question about playing in-state and said something I shouldn't have. I said it as a joke but it was inappropriate. I feel bad and need to do a better job representing our program and this University."

On Wednesday, UNC coach Mack Brown said his quarterback was just trying to be funny and he reminded Maye that you should "always be very respectful of everybody, especially your neighbors."

Both the Tar Heels and the No. 12 Wolfpack have begun the season 3-0. They'll face each other in Chapel Hill on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Drake Maye: UNC football QB takes jab at NC State, apologizes