[
]()FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots re-signed veteran wide receiver Troy Brown today. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Brown, 33, has spent his entire pro career with the Patriots after being drafted by the team in the eighth round (198th overall) of the 1993 NFL Draft. In his 12 professional seasons, Brown has played in 162 games, placing him eighth on the franchise's all-time games played list. He has been the longest-tenured member of the team since 2002 and was voted an offensive captain for each of the last three seasons (2002-04). Throughout his career, he has made valuable contributions on offense and special teams, and in 2004 he added defense to his resume as he saw significant action in the defensive backfield and finished second on the team with three interceptions.
Brown ranks third on the team's all-time receiving list with 475 career receptions and places third in team history with 5,516 receiving yards. Brown is also the Patriots' all-time leading punt returner with 237 career returns for 2,524 yards and is tied with Irving Fryar for the team mark with three punt returns for touchdowns. Combining his career punt returns and kickoff returns, Brown is the franchise's all-time leading return specialist with 4,386 combined return yards.
The Marshall University product was named to the Pro Bowl in 2001, a season in which he set the Patriots' single-season franchise record with 101 receptions. That year, he recorded 1,199 receiving yards, placing him second on the team's single-season list behind Stanley Morgan (1,491 yards in 1986). He followed up his record-setting campaign with a 97-catch season in 2002, a mark that ranks second in team history to his own 2001 total. Also that year, he recorded a team-record 16 catches in a game against Kansas City at Gillette Stadium (9/22/02).
In 2004, Brown earned accolades for his play on offense, defense and special teams, showing a level of versatility unmatched in recent NFL history. After injuries had taken a toll on the Patriots' secondary, Brown pitched in as the team's nickel back for the final nine games of the regular season and for all three of the Patriots' postseason contests. He finished second on the team with three interceptions in the 2004 regular season and matched his reception total with 17 tackles on defense.
The Blackville, S.C. native has been a key contributor to each of the Patriots' three Super Bowl runs. In 2001, Brown led the team with 18 postseason receptions as New England won its first world championship in Super Bowl XXXVI. In that game against the St. Louis Rams, Brown led the team with six receptions and 89 yards, including a key 23-yard grab on the game-winning drive. Two years later, he tied for the team lead with 17 playoff receptions as the Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVIII over Carolina. He was again a key contributor in that game, finishing second on the team with eight receptions, including three grabs on the game-winning drive. This past season, Brown played on offense, defense and special teams in all three playoff games, recording a total of five receptions and six tackles during New England's Super Bowl XXXIX title run.
Brown's career statistics include 162 games played (with 58 starts), 475 receptions for 5,516 yards and 25 touchdowns, 237 punt returns for 2,524 yards and three touchdowns, 87 kickoff returns for 1,862 yards, 28 rushes for 160 yards, 17 defensive tackles (15 solo), three interceptions and five passes defensed.