Most fans of the New England Patriots likely remember the franchise quarterback who preceded Tom Brady.
Drew Bledsoe was a No. 1 overall pick and tabbed as the franchise savior for a team that succumbed to a 2-14 record in 1992. Bledsoe eventually led a Super Bowl run four years later. But while fans recall the Bledsoe era, fewer are keen on who stood by his side throughout his career.
Maura Bledsoe’s History With Drew
Maura Bledsoe has been married to her husband since his early NFL years.
The couple first married in May 1996, which was three years after her husband’s debut with the Patriots. They also wed before New England rolled through the AFC and captured the conference title before ultimately losing to a Brett Favre, Reggie White-led Green Bay Packers team in Super Bowl XXXI.
But Maura had been by the side of her husband before he threw his first NFL pass.
She was with Bledsoe during his rise to college football stardom at Washington State. That was when he threw for 6,897 yards and 44 touchdowns, spearheading a 9-3 season in 1992 — his final one in Pullman.
While Drew is a native son of The Apple State, Maura is originally from the neighboring southern state. She attended Beaverton High School in Oregon.
The couple will soon celebrate their 28th wedding anniversary in May. They share four children. The entire quartet became student-athletes.
The three boys — John, Stuart, and Henry — all played football at Summit High in Oregon. The oldest son, John, walked on as a quarterback for his dad’s alma mater before finishing out his career at the University of San Diego.
"I've experienced a couple of things that you'll never experience:
The feeling of being the No. 1 overall draft pick in the NFL.
And a 28th wedding anniversary; it was yesterday." – Drew Bledsoe to Tom Brady 🏈📺 #TomBradyRoast pic.twitter.com/snGChu4yDa
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 6, 2024
Stuart and Henry Bledsoe played safety and quarterback, respectively, for their father — the offensive coordinator — at Summit. Daughter Healy became a three-sport high school star in lacrosse, basketball, and soccer at Summit.
The couple just celebrated their 28th wedding anniversary, which Drew brought up during Netflix’s ‘The Greatest Roast of All Time’ as part of a joke directed at Brady.
MORE: The Best of the Tom Brady Roast: Hilarious and Shocking Moments
Outside of Drew and Maura’s NFL and prep sports involvement, they also have a successful business together.
Drew and Maura Bledsoe’s Business Ventures
While Patriot fans remember Drew and Maura Bledsoe as an NFL couple, the wine industry in the state of Washington knows them as successful business owners.
The couple have since dove into the vineyards and are the owners of the Bledsoe Family Wines stationed out of Walla Walla.
“The uniqueness and diversity of the Walla Walla Valley is unlike anything in the world. Having a career in the NFL was the realization of a childhood dream, but somehow, I couldn’t deny the pull of my roots back to my hometown,” Drew wrote in the biography for Bledsoe Family Wines.
Before Bledsoe Family Wines, they became proprietors of Doubleback. They managed to partner with the winemaker and the general manager for Doubleback — Josh McDaniels.
Their first wine venture came in 2007 after Bledsoe officially retired from the NFL. They named their first winery McQueen. Then came their investment in Doubleback, which has become known for its Cabernet Sauvignon.
Among the notable wines that the Bledsoe’s are known for making are the 2022 Flying B Estate Red Wine, a 2021 Stolen Horse Syrah, a 2022 Healy Rose named after their daughter, and the 2022 Elizabeth Chardonnay. Complete wine listings can be found here.
With their wine ventures, Bledsoe has carved out a strong post-NFL career. And he’s got his wife as his top business partner.
MORE: Drew Bledsoe Net Worth: How Much Did the 14-Year Veteran Earn?