Some childhood memories never fade completely. They stick around, tucked away in a special place, popping out every so often, rekindling a past feeling of joy.
It’s like having a sip of hot chocolate on a blustery cold day. It’s warm, hits the right spot, and inevitably puts a smile on your face.
Just like recalling that first trip to Fenway Park, and initial encounter with the Green Monster. Or experiencing that first championship parade in downtown Boston, seeing players roll down Boylston Street, waving from the duck boats.
So many people in New England and beyond have those as lifelong memories.
Then, there’s Nolan Foley.
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The 8-year-old from Westwood recently experienced one of those ‘Wow’ moments that he’s going to treasure forever.
It came during a trip to Gillette Stadium where Foley found himself tossing footballs with the new face of Patriots football. Better still, 10 of the third-grader’s closest friends were along for the ride, running routes and exchanging high-fives with Drake Maye.
What happened on that Tuesday evening left an indelible imprint with the kids and parents involved. Melanie Foley, Nolan’s mom, couldn’t rave enough about the event.
“It was perfect,” Foley told MassLive during a recent phone conversation. “It’s something these kids will never forget.”
Last year, Melanie and her husband Frank were at the Patriots Premiere Kickoff Gala, an event that serves as the team’s biggest fundraiser. The live auction always brings about some wildly entertaining bidding.
One of the items up for bid that night was a quarterback throwing clinic. The back-and-forth was extremely competitive, but the Foleys won the package with an extremely generous bid.
That meant Nolan, and a cast of friends would meet and get pointers from one of the Patriots quarterbacks on the field below the lighthouse tower at Gillette.
“It seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a kid’s birthday, or something,” Foley said. “We were lucky enough to be the highest bidder, and got to have that awesome experience for the kids.”
Originally, it looked like Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe would put on the clinic, but there were scheduling conflicts on both sides. Fast forward to this year. There was more back and forth between the Foleys and the Patriots. Eventually they locked in November 12.
The quarterback?
As luck would have it, the golden-armed rookie. The No. 3 overall draft pick. The player who is ascending like a meteor.
And Maye, much like his performances in the six games he’s started since taking over for Jacoby Brissett, didn’t disappoint.
Drake Maye conducted a passing clinic for kids from Westwood as part of charity auction.New England Patriots
The former UNC star, who at 22 isn’t far from being a kid himself, engaged full throttle lifting kids and twirling them around in celebration of good plays.
“He was fun. We had so much fun,” Nolan said, summing up the day. “It was awesome and I’ll never forget about it.”
Foley plays flag football and hockey, the same sports combination for many of his friends, who he’s known since kindergarten.
Tuesday is typically a player’s day off, but not for quarterbacks. Maye is usually in for meetings.
According to Donna Spigarola, the Patriots director of communications, Maye was happy to take the time to handle the clinic. There was no script, no planning for how he would conduct the clinic.
He was given the background and just went out there and winged it.
He grabbed footballs, cones, headed out of the tunnel and made sure the kids were taken on an excellent adventure.
“He took over and was absolutely phenomenal,” Spigarola said. “He ran the drills, made sure every kid was included. He just went with it, and it was amazing.”
At one point, Maye broke them into groups. It was the hats vs. the no-hats. Patriots center Ben Brown, who joined Maye to help with the clinic, just let his quarterback cook.
“It was quarterback stuff, so obviously I let Drake take the lead,” said Brown, who volunteered to help. “That’s more his specialty than mine with quarterback play. But it was a lot of fun out there throwing balls with them, teaching them how to throw, and going out for routes.”
Brown didn’t know who was having more fun, Maye, or the kids. The mixture of giggles and cheers emanating from the stadium that night could be heard in Walpole.
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye conducts a throwing clinic with kids from Wellesley. The event was a winning item from a charity auction.Melanie Foley
Maye was no stranger to camps growing up. He was one of those wide-eyed kids not too long ago. He’s attended plenty of camps, including the Manning camp, and held a few of his own during his college years. While some athletes are happy to do just enough to satisfy the obligation, that’s not Maye’s style.
“Being out there, you go all in, instead of going out there and moping around,” Maye told MassLive when asked about leading the clinic. “I think if I’m going to do it, and be out there and spend my time, I’m going to go all in.
“It’s once-in-a-lifetime, having these kids in Gillette playing with me and Big Ben, so you want it to be a cool experience.”
Prior to the 5 p.m. start time, the kids piled into three cars with the Foleys and two other parents.
After arriving at the stadium, they were escorted to the visitor’s locker room. The Patriots had it set up like it was game day. When the kids walked in, there were Patriots jerseys hanging at the lockers with each kid’s last name on it. All of them were given No. 1.
There were Patriots-logoed winter hats, baseball caps, water bottles and other assorted goodies in a swag bag as well.
Once everyone changed into their new Patriots garb, it was time for football.
Brown initially greeted the group outside the locker room, and before long Maye appeared. While the rookie had only recently taken over as the starter, every kid knew who he was. They knew they were in the presence of a star.
Brown saw that recognition right away. And Maye’s co-pilot didn’t mind having the kids scream for the other guy.
“They knew exactly who Drake was. They were fired up to see him out there, for sure,” Brown said. “It was a pretty fun, special moment in there. After we said I was the guy who snaps the ball, they said, ‘O.K., cool … but there’s Drake!! I understand my role.”
Drake Maye conducted a passing clinic for kids from Westwood as part of a charity auction.New England Patriots
After an initial round of high-fives, Maye and Brown led the kids through the tunnel and onto the field. Maye thought it best to put the kids through different drills – throwing, dropping back, catching a snap – before ramping up to a scrimmage.
“That’s the best way to do it,” Maye said. “Teach them some drills, and then go out and have some fun.”
Melanie Foley was taken aback by how special the Patriots made the day, and how wonderful the players were with the kids.
“Drake and Ben were phenomenal,” Melanie said. “They were fun, energetic. They had a game plan. They weren’t fumbling out there. They knew exactly what they were doing with the kids. They kept giving them tips, teaching them to keep going. If you miss a pass, just keep going.”
Nolan, a third-grader, is the youngest of her four children.
It was tough to narrow the list of friends to bring, but he invited many of his school buddies from Westwood along with his cousin Shane Walsh from Walpole.
Not long into the hour-long session on the field, Maye knew everyone’s name.
The Patriots quarterback had let the organizers know he had a hard stop time at 6 p.m. He had another engagement. Spigarola signaled Maye with five minutes to go.
Next thing she knew, Maye shouted to the kids, ‘We’re not leaving until we get five touchdowns.”
They got them. But they still didn’t leave. Maye insisted on more. He asked for five field goals next.
“Drake kept saying, ‘Sorry Miss Donna’ we’re not done yet,’” Melanie recalled. “We’re not getting out of here until these kids hit five field goals. Which, of course, the kids loved.”
Spigarola figured they might be there all night trying to satisfy Maye’s challenge. She worried about getting Maye out on time. But the kids delivered.
“It took little awhile,” said Brown, “but they got there. It was a lot of fun. Some of those kids were drilling those kicks. It was pretty surprising to see.”
This was Maye’s way of teaching them about persistence and perseverance. It was about accomplishing a goal, and working to make it happen. The parents loved the underlying message.
“You’re trying to accomplish something, and keep that in mind for those kids,” Maye said prior to heading out for practice Thursday ahead of Sunday’s game with the Miami Dolphins. “At the end of the day, you want to come out, accomplish something and be competitive during the process.”
Before leaving, Maye and Brown signed footballs, and each of the kids jerseys. The kids then headed off to a dinner that was set up for them. Pizza and chicken fingers were on the menu.
Next, it was a behind-the-scenes tour. The entourage saw all of the special places the players hang out including the locker room, weight room, auditorium and kitchen before heading home.
It all seemed a bit surreal. But many years down the road, if Maye leads the Patriots to their next Super Bowl win, Nolan Foley and his friends will conjure up that memory and flash a warm smile.
