David Patten - Three-time Super Bowl Champion With Patriots - Dies At 47

A consistent withinside the beginning lineup throughout the New England Patriots' burgeoning years as a dynasty and a 3-time Super Bowl champion, former NFL huge receiver David Patten died Thursday at the age of 47, Richland County (S.C.) Coroner Naida Rutherford showed to NFL.com.

Patten changed into concern in a deadly bike coincidence at 9:35 p.m. Thursday night time on the intersection of Clemson Road and Old Clemson Road close to Columbia, South Carolina. Patten changed into traveling west on Clemson Road on a Kawasaki bike while he "went left of center" and struck on an oncoming Chevrolet sedan, the South Carolina Highway Patrol showed to NFL.com.

The coroner's workplace stated its miles operating with the Highway Patrol to "completely inspect this coincidence."

"It breaks my coronary heart to pay attention to David's tragic passing at this sort of younger age," Bill Belichick, Patten's instruct with the Patriots, stated in a statement. He is a vital man or woman and participant in Patriots history, without whom we'd now no longer were Super Bowl champions.

"I specifically respect David for his expert journey. As an awful lot as everybody, David epitomized the unheralded, self-made participant who defied great odds to now no longer simplest earn a process withinside the NFL, however, to turn out to be a key participant on a couple of championship teams. I can talk to everybody who had the pride to be around David that his paintings ethic, fine electricity, and person have been elite. My private condolences are together along with his own circle of relatives and cherished ones."

Patten's NFL profession additionally noticed him play for the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Washington, and New Orleans Saints, however, his best seasons and maximum enduring moments got here with the Patriots.

Patten performed for New England from 2001 thru 2004, accumulating 3 Super Bowl wins, at the side of forty-four begins offevolved in fifty-four regular-season video games as he hauled in a hundred sixty-five catches for 2,513 yards and sixteen touchdowns.

In the Patriots' first Super Bowl triumph, Patten was given the begin and made simply one trap, however it changed into a memorable one as he hauled in an eight-backyard landing from a few children named Tom Brady. It changed into the primary of a document 21 Super Bowl TD passes for Brady, and Patten's six factors gave the Patriots a 13-three lead in Super Bowl XXXVI en course to a 20-17 victory and the beginning of a dynasty.

"I am heartbroken with the aid of using the information of David's passing," Patriots proprietor Robert Kraft stated in a statement. "He changed into a religious Christian who accompanied his ardour following his soccer profession and based his very own ministry. David transitioned from an undersized and understated huge receiver to an effective and passionate preacher.

"In New England, he's going to usually be remembered as a 3-time Super Bowl Champion. His landing reception withinside the AFC Championship recreation at Pittsburgh propelled the Patriots to Super Bowl XXXVI and I'll in no way overlook his great trap withinside the return of the quit quarter in that recreation. It changed into our simplest offensive landing withinside the Super Bowl and secured our first championship in franchise history. Our sincerest sympathies are together along with his wife, Galiena, his own circle of relatives, and all who're mourning David's tragic and premature death."

Across 12 NFL seasons, Patten tallied 324 catches for 4,715 yards and 24 touchdowns. His sixty-one receptions and 824 yards receiving in 2002 with New England have been professional highs as have been his seven landing grabs in 2004 with the Pats.

He commenced his profession in 1997 with the Giants as an undrafted loose agent out of Western Carolina.