Troy Brown: A quick tribute to the greatest Patriot

November 18, 12:51 AMNew England Patriots ExaminerSean Crowe

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That's right, Troy Brown even played quarterback!

The Patriots honored Troy Brown at halftime last Thursday. I wanted to take a quick minute to honor him in this space as well.

Troy Brown was my favorite Patriots' player. He was the quintessential Patriot. He was a throwback player and an all around great person.

Troy Brown was the longest tenured Patriot. He was the last player who was here before Bob Kraft bought the team. The last remaining link to another era.

He was drafted by Bill Parcells, then cut by Bill Parcells. He was too small to play in the NFL, then he became Drew Bledsoe’s, and later Tom Brady’s best and most dangerous weapon.

In a time when the Patriots could never beat the Dolphins in Miami, he beat them deep and tore out their hearts.

When the Steelers thought they were going to the Super Bowl, he returned a punt for a touchdown and recovered a blocked field goal.

He made the key catch in the drive that created Tom Brady, helping to lead the Patriots over the Rams for their first Super Bowl victory.

When the Patriots ran out of cornerbacks, he switched to defense and played admirably.

He’s won Super Bowls as a wide receiver and a cornerback.

When he had a chance to go play somewhere else, for more money or more playing time, he stayed in New England. He wanted to end his career as a Patriot.

There were more talented players. There were faster players. There were players who have put up better numbers. But none of them were Troy Brown. He was the definition of clutch, the definition of team player, and the definition of a New England Patriot.

Troy Brown was and will always be the greatest Patriot.

Latest News and Notes:

• The Patriots put promising rookie cornerback Terrence Wheatley on IR yesterday, adding yet another name to the list of Patriots who will miss the rest of the season.

• Adalius Thomas, however, has still not been officially put on IR. The timetable for his injury is apparently about two months, which could potentially see him return for the playoffs. If the Patriots can live with the roster spot, it’s probably worth holding out to see if he can return.

• The Dolphins won, and the Bills lost. Meaning the Patriots are tied with the Dolphins for second place going into this weekend’s big showdown. The Jets are playing the undefeated Titans. Odds are, there will be a first place tie in the AFC East this time next week.

Sean Crowe is the New England Patriots Examiner. You can email him at scrowe@gmail.com. Check out some of his other work on his blog.