Harry Fodder: Maye's Day (Both of Them) Will Be Big

On 2016 Senior Day, safety Marcus Maye was joined pregame by his family, including mother Beverly (also wearing No. 20) to whom her son is about fulfill an important promise.

Harry Fodder: Maye's Day (Both of Them) Will Be Big

Tuesday, April 25, 2017 | Football, Chris Harry

Safety Marcus Maye made a promise to his mother that he's keeping.

By: Chris Harry

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The NFL will call on Marcus Maye during its draft weekend. That's a given. And sooner rather than later for the Florida safety. Maye, of course, will jump at their beck and call and in a matter of days be at a draft camp for rookies at one of 32 possible locations.

"Wherever I end up, I'm going to be excited," Maye said. "After all I've been through, I'll take whatever happens. I can't wait to get started."

But there's a touch of irony in the back end of that statement. Maye, it seems, already got a call from the NFL. As one of the top safety prospects in the pool of draft candidates, Maye got an invitation from the league earlier this month to join the select handful of likely early round selections — the Leonard Fournettes, Marshon Lattimores and Jonathan Allens of the world — on site at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Maye's response?

No, thank you.

As you're perusing your plethora of mock drafts, let that one sink in.

Maye's reasons for the declined RSVP are two-fold. His preference is to be with his mother, Beverly, and surrounded by family at their home in Melbourne, Fla. Yes, he could have his own table in the posh NFL "green room," surrounded by select family members, but a more intimate and familiar scene was more to his liking.

But there was also the matter of a previously scheduled engagement. One that has been on the UF schedule for a long time, but also one Maye and his mother have had circled since the day he decided to bypass turning pro last year and return to the Gators for his senior season.

For Maye, the chance to walk across the commencement stage Saturday and shake UF president Kent Fuchs' hand at Exactech Arena easily trumped doing the same with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

The moment has played out in Maye's mind many times; ever since promising his mother that returning for his senior year would also mean fulfilling his commitment to graduate.

"If I make a promise to anybody I want to follow it through — and this one was to my mom," said Maye, who completed work toward a degree in African American Studies and will make that unforgettable walk (with Mom in the house, of course) Saturday morning. "No one in my immediate family has graduated from college. The fact she wanted me to do that — not just play football, but also graduate — has been in the back of mind and knowing that the last year has always been a motivation for me."

Though his senior season was cut short after nine games by a broken arm, Marcus Maye is projected as a second-round pick, in the NFL Draft this weekend.

Maye was a big hitter and on-field leader who racked up 210 career tackles, including 24 for loss, to go with six interceptions, 27 passes defensed and numerous All-Southeastern Conference and All-America honors during his four seasons. The fourth, however, was cut short (on Senior Day, no less) when Maye suffered a broken arm against South Carolina that kept him out of the season-ending paddle wheel of LSU, Florida State, Alabama in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game and Iowa in the Outback Bowl.

After rehabbing from the injury, Maye proved himself healthy to the folks at the NFL Combine at Indianapolis in February, at UF's Pro Day in March and select individual stops around the league. Heading into the three-day draft (Round 1 Thursday night, Rounds 2-3 Friday, Rounds 4-7 Saturday), the 6-foot-1, 216-pound Maye is projected as an overall Top-50 selection — the No. 4 safety on most boards, behind Ohio State's Malik Hooker, Washington's Budda Baker and Utah's Marcus Sanders-Williams — which should have him gone by 9:30 Friday night.

Plenty of time to prime for graduation 12 hours or so later.

"He's keeping a promise he made to his mother and that is something, to me, that speaks volumes to the makeup of Marcus Maye," Gators coach Jim McElwain said. "He's done a lot of great things athletically, yet getting his degree from the University of Florida? Man, that is powerful. And it will change his life forever."

39692 — Marcus Maye and Coach Jim McElwain pose for a picture during UF's Senior Day last November.

A lot about Maye's life is about to change forever.

But which life-changing event will stand out most?

"Dang, that's a hard one. But you know what? I'll take graduation. The draft thing, that's more for me. But graduation? That's for my mom too," Maye said. "Not too many people get the chance to graduate and hear their name called [by the NFL] at pretty much the same time. I think that phone call is going to come first. Graduation, that will be icing on the cake."