‘Essential person, player in Patriots history’
Pats mourn loss of former WR Patten, 47
Receiver David Patten, who was part of three Patriots Super Bowl wins, died Thursday, his agent confirmed to South Carolina’s The State newspaper.
Patten was 47. He was reportedly killed as a result of a motorcycle accident.
Patten was with the Patriots from 2001-04. An underrated player for much of his career, he was a clutch performer and an integral part of that first championship in 2001.
During that run to the Patriots first Super Bowl win, Patten caught eight passes for 107 yards in the Snow Bowl game against Oakland.
He caught the only touchdown pass (from Drew Bledsoe) in the AFC Championship game against the Steelers. He also accounted for the only offensive touchdown in the Super Bowl win over the Rams, making a twisting catch on a Tom Brady pass in the end zone.
News of Patten’s passing brought a flood of tributes from former Patriots players, coaches and front office people.
Richard Seymour, who attended the same high school (Lower Richland High School in South Carolina) as Patten, expressed his grief on Twitter.
“Heartbroken great man of God… lost for words – David Patten,” Seymour wrote.
This came from Joe Andruzzi: “So sorry for the loss of a great teammate. Prayers to his entire family.”
Fellow receiver Deion Branch hailed him as a “Great player, but most of all, a Great man, Mentor, Brother.”
Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and head coach Bill Belichick shared their thoughts in a joint statement.
“I am heartbroken by the news of David’s passing,” said Kraft. “He was a devout Christian who followed his passion following his football career and founded his own ministry. David transitioned from an undersized and understated wide receiver to a powerful and passionate preacher.
“In New England, he will always be remembered as a three-time Super Bowl Champion. His touchdown reception in the AFC Championship game at Pittsburgh propelled the Patriots to Super Bowl XXXVI and I’ll never forget his remarkable catch in the back of the end zone in that game,” Kraft went on. “It was our only offensive touchdown in the Super Bowl and secured our first championship in franchise history. Our sincerest sympathies are with his wife, Galiena, his family and all who are mourning David’s tragic and untimely death.”
Belichick lauded Patten for his role with the Patriots, as well as his path to the NFL, defying all odds.
“It breaks my heart to hear of David’s tragic passing at such a young age. I am grateful to have coached David. He is an essential person and player in Patriots history, without whom we would not have been Super Bowl champions,” said Belichick. “I especially appreciate David for his professional journey. As much as anyone, David epitomized the unheralded, self-made player who defied enormous odds to not only earn a job in the NFL but to become a key player on multiple championship teams. I can speak for anyone who had the pleasure to be around David that his work ethic, positive energy and character were elite. My deepest condolences are with his family and loved ones.”
Former offensive coordinator Charlie Weis expressed his sadness on Twitter: “Shocked and saddened about the sudden tragic death of David Patten. Excellent player, even better person. Family guy, team guy, devout Christian. Prayers all directed this way. RIP David. You will be sorely missed.”
Former Patriots player personnel head Scott Pioli also offered warm sentiments about Patten, who played for five teams over a 12-year career.
“Heartbroken to hear about the passing of David Patten. Beyond being a core player on our @Patriots championships, he represented all that was good. Hard to articulate the impact he had on our locker room and all of us around him. He was a TRUE champion… Godspeed.”
Other highlights from Patten’s career included a 2001 game against the Colts, where the receiver became the eighth player in NFL history (and just the second since the merger) to run, catch, and throw for a touchdown.
Patten played his final NFL game in 2008 and finished with 324 receptions for 4,715 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Tweeted Tom Brady: “The consummate professional. RIP my friend.”
Rodney Harrison, who played with Patten during two Super Bowl runs, was also heartbroken over the loss.
“Just absolutely one of the best dudes that I’ve been around. He was always positive. He always talked about God. He always talked about his family and always wanted to help the younger guys on the team. Just a terrific, terrific person,” Harrison told the Herald. “Trust me, a lot of former players are taking it hard. I’ve talked to a bunch of guys. They all say the same thing: good guy, unselfish, was a team guy.
“We never saw him down,” Harrison went on. “Always had a smile on his face. Always provided you with perspective. Anything that was going wrong, he would always put a smile on your face, because he’d always say something silly that made sense.”