Troy Brown elected to Patriots’ Hall of Fame

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Tuesday, June 05, 2012

John Rooke, GoLocalWorcester Sports Editor

As a fan, it’s hard to pick out just one moment or special occasion you’d like to remember a great player for, but in Troy Brown’s case…it’s easy.

Then again, there were a bunch of them. Maybe it’s not so easy.

“There’re so many special moments and it’s kind of hard to put my finger on just one, Brown said Tuesday, in reflecting on his career as a New England Patriots wide receiver. “Maybe the 2006 game against the San Diego Chargers, being able to get the ball back from Marlon McCree there and give us a chance to advance in the playoffs. How about that one?”

That’s a good one, no question about it. I would choose to recall his being part of three Super Bowl champions, and his being a “go to” guy for quarterbacks named Bledsoe and Brady, among others. Or, maybe the three interceptions he had as a fill-in defensive back in 2004. But perhaps most of all, Troy Brown should be remembered for being one thing above all else – the consummate Patriot, the consummate pro.

And what we wish all professional athletes could be.

Brown was selected for induction in to the Patriots’ Hall of Fame this week, as voted on by the teams’ fans. He becomes the 18th player, and 19th individual selected for the Hall, and his official induction ceremony will take place in September before the Patriots’ regular season home opener. By the time he officially takes his place in The Hall, Brown will have an almost-20 year association with the franchise…the only team he ever played for.

Current fans don’t need to be told, that’s rare in this day and age.

“Troy Brown will always be special to me, as he was my sweetheart’s favorite player during his career,” said Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. “To me, Troy was the consummate Patriot who always put team goals ahead of personal ones. His height and speed made him a proverbial underdog in a league that always featured taller and faster players. But, his heart and perseverance made him a champion and a fan favorite.

“The Patriots record books will always show that Troy was one of the greatest receivers and punt returners in franchise history, but Patriots fans know that he was so much more than that,” Kraft added.

Those record books might tell you that Brown was drafted in 1993 in the 8th round – a round that doesn’t even exist any longer in present-day drafts. They might say he finished his career as the all-time leading punt returner in team history, second in team receiving yards, fourth in games played. Those numbers might also tell you his 15 seasons as a Patriot ties Julius Adams for second in longest tenure on the team by a player, behind only Steve Grogan’s 16 seasons…and that he was a five-time co-captain and a Pro Bowl receiver in 2001.

What they won’t tell you, is he always put the team first. He knew how to act and lead by example when he was a star, and later in his career, he understood what a role player should be. Troy Brown valued dignity, he embraced class, and he knew how to set an example.

“I’m not one that’s big on accolades and all those things and praise,” Brown said. “I did my job and I’m proud of what I did and how I did it.

“When it comes down to it, I always played hard for my teammates and played hard for my coaches no matter who it was and ownership and you really wanted to go out there and make our fans happy,” he added. “I think that now that I realize how much they appreciated the way I played the game, it does make me feel really good.”

“Troy Brown is the ultimate team player and one of the greatest competitors I have ever had the privilege of coaching,” said Patriots’ coach Bill Belichick. “Offense, defense, special teams – if there was a job to do Troy embraced it and did it at a championship level.

“No matter the situation or conditions, Troy raised the bar of excellence and helped create a winning tradition we strive to uphold,” Belichick added. “The bigger the game, the more Troy stepped up.”

And stepping up seems to be something that Brown has always known how to do, especially in 2004 when injuries decimated the secondary. Brown pitched in as the team’s nickel back for the final nine games of the regular season and for all three of the Patriots’ postseason games as New England won Super Bowl XXXIX. “Since I played Pee Wee Football, I always seemed to be on a team and surrounded with good people and good coaches,” he recalled. “I was always able to go out and find a way to win games and that just came along with me. It’s just a part of who I am; you always find a way to get things done.

“It does, it makes me feel really good to know that I had to continue to work to make myself better and continue to work to convince other people who were evaluating me that I deserved to be on their football team.”

Certainly, Brown deserved to be on the team. He earned his spot, and kept it for 15 years. And now, he is deserving of his presence in the Patriots’ Hall of Fame.

The fans got it right.
 

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