David Patten, a former NFL wide receiver and three-time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots, died Thursday in South Carolina at age 47.
Richland County coroner Naida Rutherford said in a statement Patten was killed in a crash Thursday night outside of Columbia, S.C. The South Carolina Highway Patrol said the accident involved two other vehicles.
South Carolina Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. Nick Pye said a motorcycle driver, identified by the coroner as Patten, crossed a median and caused a crash involving two other cars, ESPN.com reported. Another unidentified driver in one of the cars was taken to a hospital with unspecified injuries. The accident is under investigation by highway patrol and the coroner.
Patten’s former teammates and NFL peers took to social media to share their condolences.
“The consummate professional,” his former Patriots quarterback Tom Bradt wrote on his Instagram story. “RIP my friend. My love goes out to David’s family.”
Patten caught Brady’s first postseason touchdown pass, in Super Bowl XXXVI against the Rams in the Patriots’ 20-17 win on Feb. 3, 2002 that launched the franchise’s dynasty.
Patten’s fellow wide receiver and former Patriots teammate Deion Branch called him a “Great Player, but Most of All A Great Man, Mentor and Brother” on Twitter.
Patten began his career in 1997 with the Giants as an undrafted free agent out of Western Carolina. The Patriots signed Patten as a free agent in 2001, his fifth NFL season after stints with the Giants and Browns. Before his NFL debut, he briefly played in the Arena Football League.
For his NFL career, which also included stints with Washington and the Saints, Patten, in 147 games, totaled 324 catches, 4,715 yards and 24 touchdowns (he also rushed for a TD and scored on a kick return).
“It breaks my heart to hear of David’s tragic passing at such a young age,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said in a statement. “I am grateful to have coached David. He is an essential person and player in Patriots history, without whom we would not have been Super Bowl champions.”
— With AP