David Patten was one of Tom Brady's go-to targets in the Patriots' early dynasty years, notably racking up a game-high 107 receiving yards in the Snow Bowl against the Raiders and hauling in the lone offensive touchdown of the Patriots' Super Bowl XXXVI win over the Rams.
Patten tragically died in a motorcycle accident last week at the age of 47. Tributes to Patten have poured in from former teammates and coaches, with Bill Belichick sharing some of his memories on The Greg Hill Show Tuesday morning.
Tom Brady shared a brief message on his Instagram story shortly after news of Patten's passing broke, and then expanded much more on the latest episode of his SiriusXM podcast "Let's Go!" with Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray.
"David was a great friend, obviously heartbreaking to hear the news," Brady said, as transcribed by NBC Sports Boston. "He was an amazing teammate, one of the great teammates I've been around. Was a great man on and off the field and it's just a real tragedy. David was a minister, his faith was very important to him. Just really hard to hear the news.
"Obviously, my thoughts are with his family. Just a very tough time for the Patten family, for his ministry, and everyone who loved David certainly shared a lot of prayers around the country with his passing. Just a tough week when you hear certain things like this."
Patten played 12 seasons total in the NFL from 1997-2008, also spending time with the Giants, Browns, Redskins and Saints. In his four seasons with the Patriots from 2001-04, he helped the team win three Super Bowls.
