On Friday morning, it was learned former Patriots wide receiver David Patten passed away at the age of 47.
No details on his death were provided.
A number of former players and coaches paid tribute to Patten, who was more of the most under-appreciated Patriots players in the early 2000s.
"I am heartbroken by the news of David's passing," Robert Kraft said in a statement. "He was a devout Christian who followed his passion following his football career and founded his own ministry. David transitioned from an undersized and understated wide receiver to a powerful and passionate preacher. In New England, he will always be remembered as a three-time Super Bowl Champion. His touchdown reception in the AFC Championship game at Pittsburgh propelled the Patriots to Super Bowl XXXVI and I'll never forget his remarkable catch in the back of the end zone in that game. It was our only offensive touchdown in the Super Bowl and secured our first championship in franchise history. Our sincerest sympathies are with his wife, Galiena, his family and all who are mourning David's tragic and untimely death."
Bill Belichick released a statement of his own.
"It breaks my heart to hear of David's tragic passing at such a young age," he said. "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. I especially appreciate David for his professional journey. As much as anyone, David epitomized the unheralded, self-made player who defied enormous odds to not only earn a job in the NFL but to become a key player on multiple championship teams. I can speak for anyone who had the pleasure to be around David that his work ethic, positive energy and character were elite. My deepest condolences are with his family and loved ones."
Former teammate Jermaine Wiggins called into Gresh and Keefe to share his own memories.
“Great man,” he said. “Here’s the funny thing: David is only a year older than I am, but he seemed like this veteran presence when you got there. He was one of these guys that I felt like I looked up to. He was like a leader when you think about some of the players we had on that team, especially on the offensive side of the football. He was just like — he had this great personality, God-[loving] guy. It was always about his teammates, his brothers, about doing the things that are going to make us great.
“And he talked about how fast he was — he was one of the fastest guys around.”
And several teammates took to Twitter to pay tribute.
