Troy Brown

Last updated

Troy Brown
No. 80
Position: Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1971-07-02) July 2, 1971 (age 52)
Barnwell, South Carolina, U.S.
Height:5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:196 lb (89 kg)
Career information
High school: Blackville–Hilda
(Blackville, South Carolina)
College:
NFL draft: 1993  / Round: 8 / Pick: 198
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:557
Receiving yards:6,366
Touchdowns:31
Return yards:4,487
Return TDs:3
Interceptions:3
Player stats at NFL.com  ·  PFR

Troy Fitzgerald Brown (born July 2, 1971) is an American football coach and former player who was most recently the wide receivers and kick returners coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played as a wide receiver and return specialist for 15 seasons in the NFL, spending his entire career with the Patriots. Brown played college football at Marshall University and was selected by the Patriots in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL draft. During his New England tenure, he was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2001 and was a member of the franchise's first three Super Bowl-winning teams. In 2020, Brown rejoined the Patriots as an offensive assistant. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010. [1] Brown also was inducted to the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2012. [2]

Contents

Early years

Brown attended Blackville–Hilda High School in Blackville, South Carolina. He was discouraged from playing football, as he was thought too small, beginning at 5'6", 135 lbs. [3] Still, he lettered in football and track and field. His high school team won a state championship in 1988 with a 14–1 record.

College career

Brown attended Lees–McRae College before it became a 4-year college in 1989–1990. In college, Brown was a standout wide receiver, punt returner, and kickoff returner for Marshall University, leading the Division I-AA in both kickoff and punt return average in 1991, a year in which he and quarterback Todd Donnan tied a record by combining for a 99-yard pass play against Virginia Military Institute. [4] The following year, Marshall claimed its first national championship with Brown as its primary wide receiver and returner. In the championship game, Brown sealed the win by intercepting a Hail Mary Youngstown State pass in the final seconds of the game. [5]

His career kickoff return average (29.69 yards per return) still stands as an NCAA record, as do his four kickoff returns for touchdowns. He scored one touchdown for every eight times he touched the football.

In 2006, Brown was given a distinguished alumni award by his alma mater, Marshall. [6]

Professional career

Brown was drafted by the Patriots out of Marshall in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL draft (198th overall). [7] He was waived as a final cut in the 1994 pre-season by head coach Bill Parcells but was re-signed on October 19, 1994. [8] It wasn't until the 1995 season that he started seeing time as a wide receiver, recording 14 catches for 159 yards. The next season in 1996, when the New England Patriots reached the Super Bowl, he recorded 21 catches for 222 yards. In 1997, he recorded 41 catches for 607 yards and 6 touchdowns 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, when he recorded 83 catches for 944 yards and 4 touchdowns. In 2001 he, alongside Tom Brady, led the Patriots to their first ever Super Bowl championship, recording 101 catches during the season for 1,199 yards and 5 touchdowns, setting the franchise record for receptions and earning his first and only trip to the 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 at Heinz Field against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs that season, Brown returned a crucial punt for a touchdown which provided the winning margin, adding to the two he returned for touchdowns during the regular season. He also scooped up a blocked field goal attempt in that game, and made a lateral pass to teammate Antwan Harris, which completed a second special teams touchdown. In 2002, he recorded 97 receptions for 890 yards and 3 touchdowns. In 2003, he had 40 catches for 472 yards, helping his team back to Super Bowl XXXVIII.

In 2004, he had only 17 receptions, but contributed 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. 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". [9]

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. [10] In the 2005 season, he recorded 39 receptions for 466 yards.

On July 17, 2007, Brown reached an agreement with the New England Patriots for a 15th season, making him the second longest-playing Patriot at the time behind Steve Grogan; [11] both have since been surpassed by Tom Brady. [12] On July 28, he was placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, but was activated on November 27. [13]

In addition to playing offense and defense with success, Brown is the Patriots' all-time leading punt returner with 252 returns for 2,625 yards and 3 touchdowns. He is third all-time in Patriots history in receptions (557) and third all-time in receiving yards (6,366). He still holds the Super Bowl record for most punt returns in a career with 8.

Brown is the only player in NFL history with at least 550 receptions, 250 punt returns, and an interception.

2006 AFC divisional playoffs

A memorable moment for Brown came in a 2006 AFC Divisional Playoff game, when the Patriots met the favored San Diego Chargers. [14] With 5 minutes left in the game, the Patriots were down 21-13 and facing 4th and 5. Tom Brady threw his third interception of the game, to the Chargers' Marlon McCree. 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. [14] The fumble was subsequently recovered by the Patriots Reche Caldwell, giving them a new set of downs. New England went on to tie the score with a touchdown and a two-point conversion, and then won the game on a 31-yard field goal. Brown also caught 5 passes for 39 yards in the game.

Legacy

Brown is a fan favorite among many Patriots fans due to his style of play and years of dedication to his team. [15] His punt return in the 2001 AFC Championship along with numerous big plays throughout his Patriots career culminated in his induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame at Patriots Place. [16]

Retirement

On March 13, 2008, The Boston Globe reported that the Patriots would not offer Brown a contract for the 2008 season. On September 25, 2008, Brown officially retired from professional football during a press conference alongside Patriots owner Robert Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick. He finished his playing career as the all-time leader for the New England Patriots in receptions with 557. [17]

On June 4, 2012, it was announced that Brown was elected to the Patriots Hall of Fame by fan vote, beating out former head coach Bill Parcells and safety Fred Marion. [16]

Coaching

At the beginning of the 2019 NFL season, he began coaching in an unofficial capacity with the New England Patriots, assisting wide receivers coach Joe Judge, who was often busy with his other role as special teams coordinator. [18] In addition in 2016 he was a part of the Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship working with the Patriots. [19]

In 2020 it was officially announced that Brown was on the Patriots coaching staff. He would be serving as the teams running backs/kick returners coach. [20]

In 2021, Brown was announced as the wide receivers/kick returners coach. [21]

Post-playing career

Entertainment

Since 2008, Brown has been a football analyst with NBC Sports Boston. [22] Brown, along with teammate Tom Brady, played himself on the Family Guy episode "Patriot Games". He also had a cameo in the 2012 film The Three Stooges .

Business

Brown is an investor in and spokesman for the Narragansett Brewing Company. [23]

Personal life

Brown currently resides in Huntington, West Virginia, where a portion of West Virginia Route 10 was designated Troy Brown Way. Brown and his ex-wife Kimberly (who works as a chemist for the United States Army Corps of Engineers [24] ), have two sons, Sir'mon and Saanjay. [25]

He works with various charities through the Troy Brown Fantasy Football Camp. He also worked with the Bartrum Brown Football Camp from 2001 through 2011. [26]

Notes and references

  1. ↑ "Troy Brown elected to College Hall". The Herald-Dispatch. May 11, 2010. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Patriots.com". Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  3. ↑ Brown, Troy (April 9, 2016). "Tim McCarver Show". abc sports.
  4. ↑ "2005 Southern Conference Media Guide" (PDF). Marshall University Athletics. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 9, 2011. Retrieved July 10, 2007.
  5. ↑ Riley, Matt (March 8, 2002). "From Herd hero to Super Bowl champ". The Parthenon. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved July 10, 2007.
  6. ↑ Distinguished Alumni [ permanent dead link ] Marshall University. Accessed July 10, 2007.
  7. ↑ "1993 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Troy Brown Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
  9. ↑ Reiss, Mike (September 1, 2006). "Brown receives chance at QB in Patriots' loss". The Boston Globe . Retrieved December 10, 2006.
  10. ↑ Gasper, Christopher L. (March 18, 2008). "Route taken by receiver interesting". The Boston Globe . Retrieved June 3, 2009.
  11. ↑ Tomase, John (July 11, 2007). "Troy Will be Back for 15th Season". Boston Herald . Retrieved July 12, 2007.[ dead link ]
  12. ↑ "Tom Brady is Scorching the NFL and Setting Records Just Two Games Into the Season"
  13. ↑ "Pats activate WR Brown, LB Colvin placed on IR". ESPN.com . Associated Press. November 27, 2007. Retrieved June 3, 2009.
  14. 1 2 Edes, Gordon (January 15, 2007). "Brown adds to Patriots legend". The Boston Globe . Retrieved January 15, 2007.
  15. ↑ "Troy Brown receives fan favorite award". Patriots.com. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
  16. 1 2 Rodak, Mike (June 4, 2012). "Troy Brown elected to Pats Hall of Fame". ESPN. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  17. ↑ Ulman, Howard (September 25, 2008). "Record-setting Patriots WR Troy Brown retires". Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 27, 2019. Retrieved October 12, 2008.
  18. ↑ Buchmasser, Bernd (September 5, 2019). "Troy Brown adds 'significant value' to the Patriots' coaching staff". Pats Pulpit. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  19. ↑ "BILL WALSH NFL DIVERSITY COACHING FELLOWSHIPATTRACTS RECORD 137 TRAINING CAMP PARTICIPANTS". nflcommunications.com. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  20. ↑ "The Patriots have set their coaching staff for 2020 season | Boston.com". www.boston.com. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  21. ↑ "New England Patriots". www.patriots.com. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Patriots take coaching from Troy Brown at minicamp". NBC Sports Boston. June 11, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Troy Brown Writes About Life After Football". ThePostGame.com. December 31, 1969. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  24. ↑ Voss, Gretchen (May 15, 2006). "The Secret Lives of the Players' Wives". Boston Magazine. Retrieved September 28, 2016.[ permanent dead link ]
  25. ↑ "Troy Brown bio". www.patriots.com. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  26. ↑ WSAZ. "Bartrum-Brown camp Ending". www.wsaz.com. Archived from the original on February 6, 2020. Retrieved February 6, 2020.

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