Tom Brady, like so many others, was gutted by the passing of David Patten.
Patten last Thursday died in a motorcycle accident in South Carolina. He was 47 years old.
Brady and Patten both were members of the first three Super Bowl-winning teams in Patriots franchise history. The duo connected for the lone offensive touchdown in New England’s improbable Super Bowl XXXVI victory of the then-St. Louis Rams.
During the latest episode of the “Let’s Go! with Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray” podcast, Brady opened up about Patten’s death.
“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.”
Similar sentiments were offered by Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft. Belichick also paid tribute by watching New England’s “Snow Bowl” win in the 2001 AFC Divisional Round, which saw Patten catch eight passes for 107 yards.
