Super Bowl star dies in crash

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Former NFL receiver and three-time Super Bowl champion David Patten Jr., who caught Tom Brady’s first postseason touchdown pass to help the Patriots win their first title, has died in a motorcycle accident.

Richland County coroner Naida Rutherford said in a statement Patten was killed in a crash Thursday night outside of Columbia, South Carolina. The South Carolina Highway Patrol said the accident involved two other vehicles.

Patten played 12 seasons in the NFL. His biggest highlights came as a member of the New England Patriots, making two iconic TD catches to help New England capture its first Super Bowl win during the 2001 season.

In a statement coach Bill Belichick called Patten “an essential person and player in Patriots history.”