Former NFL receiver and three-time Super Bowl champion David Patten Jr., who caught Tom Brady's first postseason touchdown pass to help the Patriots win their first title, has died in a motorcycle accident.
Richland County coroner Naida Rutherford said in a statement Patten was killed in a crash Thursday night outside of Columbia, South Carolina. The South Carolina Highway Patrol said the accident involved two other vehicles.
Patten played 12 seasons in the NFL after signing as an undrafted free agent with the New York Giants in 1997. He spent three seasons in New York and also played for Cleveland, Washington and New Orleans.
But his biggest highlights came as a member of the Patriots, making two iconic catches to help New England capture its first Super Bowl win during the 2001 season. He hauled in an 11-yard TD from Drew Bledsoe during the Patriots' 24-17 win over Pittsburgh in the AFC championship game. He followed that with a leaping 8-yard TD reception from Brady in the second quarter of the Super Bowl. It was New England's lone offensive TD in the 20-17 win over the St. Louis Rams.
Patten played with the Patriots from 2001 until 2004 and was a member of their 2003 and 2004 championship teams. He appeared in 147 career NFL games, catching 324 passes for 4,715 yards and 24 touchdowns.
