Former Patriots wide receiver Troy Brown is headed to the College Football Hall of Fame this weekend, which is a storybook ending for the absolutely astounding career he had during his tenure as a member of Marshall University's "Thundering Herd".
 Brown had quite a career with Marshall, and achieved similar greatness here in New England. (Photo Credit: Icon/SMI) |
According to the West Virginia Metro News, Brown was an integral member of the 1991 and 1992 Thundering Herd teams that made back to back National Championship appearances. Back then he was considered to be one of the most dangerous scoring threats in D1-AA, where he averaged a touchdown every eight times he touched the football. Over the course of his career he accumulated 139 receptions for 2,746 yards and 24 touchdowns.
He'll also be joining his former coach at Marshall, Jim Donnan, in the Hall of Fame, who he credits for the reason he became the player he was.
"I felt like I could do whatever it took to get the team a win. Jim Donnan was one of the first guys that saw I could be used in different aspects of the game," Brown told the newspaper. "I felt like every time I touched the ball I could score with it. I always tried my best to score every time the football was in my hands."
Following those national titles they remained competitive from then on, which is something Brown remains proud for being a part of returning Marshall to greatness.
"It means a lot that we were the group that captured the first national title and spurred on success the program had throughout the 90's," said Brown.
Ultimately Brown was drafted by the Patriots in the 8th round of the 1993 NFL Draft (198th overall). He was waived as a final cut in the 1993 preseason but was re-signed on October 19, 1993. We all know what happened after that. He finally retired in 2008, finishing as the all-time leader for New England in receptions with 557.
Here's a video that someone put together as a tribute to Brown (turn your speakers down), which includes that amazing catch he made on his back against the New York Giants, which helped New England clinch a playoff birth - and ultimately a trip to the Super Bowl.
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