Troy Brown
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| Troy Brown | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | July 2, 1971 (age 35) |
| Place of birth |  Barnwell, South Carolina |
| Position(s) | Wide receiver Cornerback Kick/Punt returner |
| College | Marshall |
| NFL Draft | 1993 / Round 8 / Pick 198 |
| Career Highlights | |
| Pro Bowls | 2001 |
| Records | New England Patriots Career Receptions (546) |
| Stats | |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 1993-2006 | New England Patriots |
Troy Fitzgerald Brown (born July 2, 1971 in Barnwell, South Carolina) is an American football wide receiver and cornerback formerly of the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He is currently a free agent. He was on all three of the Patriots' Super Bowl Championship teams, as well as the 1996-1997 Super Bowl runners-up. As of January, 2007, he is currently the longest-tenured athlete not only on the Patriots, but also in all Boston-area sports (Tim Wakefield and P.J. Axelsson come in second and third, respectively, having both joined their teams in 1995).
In college, Brown was a standout wide receiver, punt returner, and kickoff returner for Marshall University, leading the NCAA Division 1-AA in both kickoff and punt return average in 1991, a year in which he and quarterback Todd Donnan tied an unbreakable record by combining for a 99-yard pass play against Virginia Military Institute.[1] The following year, 1992, Marshall claimed its first national championship with Brown as its primary wide receiver and returner.
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[edit] Patriots career
Brown was drafted by the Patriots out of Marshall in the 8th round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He was waived as a final cut in the 1994 preseason but was resigned on October 19. For the first few years of his career, he was considered a solid third or fourth receiver and an excellent special teamer. He returned punts for the Patriots in the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons. In 1997, he recorded 41 catches for 607 yards and 6 TDs despite being behind both Terry Glenn and Shawn Jefferson on the depth chart at receiver as well as competing with Ben Coates and Vincent Brisby for catches. In 1998, he resumed his duties as a punt returner.
His first year as a starter was 2000 with 83 catches for 944 yards and 4 TDs. In 2001 he, alongside Tom Brady, led the Patriots to their first ever Super Bowl championship, recording 101 catches during the season for 1199 yards and 5 TDs, setting the franchise record for receptions and earning his first trip to a Pro Bowl. He also returned 29 punts for 413 yards and 2 touchdowns, giving him a league leading 14.2 yards per return average. During the AFC Championship game against the Steelers that season, Brown returned a crucial punt for a touchdown which provided the winning margin, adding to the two he returned for TDs during the regular season. In 2002, he recorded 97 receptions for 890 yards and 3 TDs. In 2003, he had 40 catches for 472 yards, helping his team back to the Super Bowl.
In 2004, he had only 17 receptions, but gave an enormous contribution in what was originally an emergency role on defense, ranking second on the team in interceptions with three. He was topped in this category only by Eugene Wilson. In the Pats 20-3 playoff victory over the Colts, he completely shut down receiver Brandon Stokley; on defense, he plays as a nickel back. Further demonstrating his versatility, during the 2006 preseason he lined up as an emergency quarterback; when questioned as to why Brown had appeared there, the head coach of the Patriots, Bill Belichick, joked that he had lined Brown up there "to develop his legend".[2]
Brown was released by the Patriots on March 1, 2005 for salary cap reasons, but he signed a new contract with them on May 23, 2005. He signed despite a better financial deal from the New Orleans Saints[citation needed]; the income he receives from Boston-area commercial endorsement deals (including one, for TD BankNorth, he shares with Ray Bourque) makes up much of the difference.[citation needed] In the 2005-2006 season, he recorded 39 receptions for 466 yards. In the AFC Divisional playoff game against the Denver Broncos, Brown uncharacteristically muffed a punt that would end the Patriots' hope for a comeback.
In addition to playing offense and defense with success, Brown is the Patriots' all-time leading punt returner with 346 returns for 4,140 yards and 8 TDs. He is first all-time in Patriots history in receptions (546) and second all-time in receiving yards (10,280). Troy Brown is also listed as the fourth string quarterback for the 2006-2007 behind Tom Brady, Matt Cassel, and Vinny Testaverde.
[edit] 2007 AFC Divisional Playoffs
One of his greatest postseason games, while maybe not his flashiest, came in the 2007 AFC Divisional Playoff Game, when the Patriots met the favored San Diego Chargers[3]. With 5 minutes left in the game, the Patriots were down 21-13 and facing 4th and 5. Tom Brady, known for his playoff poise, uncharacteristically threw his third interception to the Chargers' Marlon McCree. Troy Brown, making what teammate Tedy Bruschi described as a "quick mental switch" from offensive to defensive player, instinctively ripped the ball out of McCree's grasp. The fumble was subsequently recovered by the Patriots, giving them a fresh set of downs. New England went on to tie the score with a touchdown and a two point conversion, and then win the game on a 31-yard field goal. Brown also caught 5 passes for 39 yards in the game.
[edit] References
- ^ 2005 Southern Conference Media Guide
- ^ Reiss, Mike. "Brown receives chance at QB in Patriots' loss", The Boston Globe, 2006-09-01. Retrieved on 2006-12-10.
- ^ Edes, Gordon. "Brown adds to Patriots legend", The Boston Globe, January 15, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-01-15.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Stanley Morgan |
New England Patriots Most Receptions (Career) November 5, 2006-present |
Succeeded by Current |
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | 1971 births | Living people | African American football players | American Conference Pro Bowl players | American football cornerbacks | American football return specialists | American football wide receivers | Marshall Thundering Herd football players | New England Patriots players
