The NFL world lost a champion and a consummate pro when David Patten tragically passed away last week at the age of 47.
Patten died in a motorcycle accident Thursday in South Carolina. Upon hearing the devastating news, many of Patten's peers including Tom Brady paid tribute to the former New England Patriots wide receiver with heartfelt messages on social media.
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Brady spoke more on Patten's passing during a recent episode of SiriusXM's "Let’s Go! With Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray."
"David was a great friend, obviously heartbreaking to hear the news," Brady said. "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 was one of Brady and the Patriots' most important pieces when they won three Super Bowl titles in four seasons from 2001 through 2004. He caught Brady's first career playoff touchdown pass during New England's Super Bowl 36 win over the St. Louis Rams, which was Brady's lone TD pass in his first championship victory.
New England Patriots
In four seasons with the Patriots, Patten tallied 165 catches for 2,513 yards and 16 touchdowns. He played 147 total games for five teams in his 12-year NFL career, hauling in 324 receptions for 4,715 yards and 24 TDs.