Troy Brown

For other people named Troy Brown, see Troy Brown (disambiguation).

Troy Brown

New York Giants
Title	Offensive assistant
Personal information
Born	(1971-07-02) July 2, 1971 Barnwell, South Carolina, U.S.
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight	196 lb (89 kg)
Career information
High school	Blackville–Hilda (Blackville, South Carolina)
College	Lees–McRae (1989–1990) Marshall (1991–1992)
NFL draft	1993: 8th round, 198th overall pick
Position	Wide receiver, No. 80, 86
Career history
Playing
New England Patriots (1993–2007)
Coaching
New England Patriots (2020) Running backs coach & kick returners coach New England Patriots (2021–2023) Wide receivers coach & kick returners coach New England Patriots (2024) Skill development / Kick & punt returners coach New York Giants (2025–present) Offensive assistant
Awards and highlights
3× Super Bowl champion (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX) Pro Bowl (2001) New England Patriots All-2000s Team New England Patriots 50th Anniversary Team New England Patriots All-Dynasty Team New England Patriots Hall of Fame
Career NFL statistics
Receptions 557 Receiving yards 6,366 Receiving touchdowns 31 Return yards 4,487 Return touchdowns 3 Interceptions 3 Stats at Pro Football Reference
Coaching profile at Pro Football Reference
College Football Hall of Fame

Troy Fitzgerald Brown (born July 2, 1971) is an American professional football coach and former player who serves as an offensive assistant for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played as a wide receiver and return specialist for 15 seasons in the NFL, spending his entire career with the Patriots. Brown played college football for the Marshall Thundering Herd and was selected by the Patriots in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL draft. During his New England tenure, he was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2001 and was a member of the franchise's first three Super Bowl-winning teams. In 2020, Brown rejoined the Patriots as an offensive assistant. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010. Brown also was inducted to the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2012.

Early life

Brown attended Blackville–Hilda High School in Blackville, South Carolina. He was discouraged from playing football, as he was thought to be too small, starting at the size of 5'6", 135 lbs. Still, he lettered in football and track and field. His high school football team won a state championship in 1988 with a 14–1 record.

College career

Brown attended Lees–McRae College before it became a 4-year college, from 1989–1990. He then played for Marshall University from 1991–1992, where he was a standout wide receiver, punt returner, and kickoff returner, leading the Division I-AA in both kickoff and punt return average in 1991, a year in which he and quarterback Todd Donnan tied a record by combining for a 99-yard pass play against Virginia Military Institute. The following year, Marshall claimed its first national championship with Brown as its primary wide receiver and returner. In the championship game, Brown sealed the win by intercepting a Hail Mary Youngstown State pass in the final seconds of the game.

His career kickoff return average (29.69 yards per return) still stands as an NCAA record, as do his four kickoff returns for touchdowns. He scored one touchdown for every eight times he touched the football.

In 2006, Brown was given a distinguished alumni award by his alma mater, Marshall.

Professional career

Brown was drafted by the Patriots out of Marshall in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL draft (198th overall). He was waived as a final cut in the 1994 pre-season by head coach Bill Parcells but was re-signed on October 19, 1994. It wasn't until the 1995 season that he started seeing time as a wide receiver, recording 14 catches for 159 yards. The next season in 1996, when the New England Patriots reached the Super Bowl, he recorded 21 catches for 222 yards. In 1997, he recorded 41 catches for 607 yards and 6 touchdowns despite being behind both Terry Glenn and Shawn Jefferson on the depth chart at receiver as well as competing with Ben Coates and Vincent Brisby for catches. In 1998, he resumed his duties as a punt returner.

His first year as a starter was 2000, when he recorded 83 catches for 944 yards and 4 touchdowns. In 2001 he, alongside Tom Brady, led the Patriots to their first ever Super Bowl championship, recording 101 catches during the season for 1,199 yards and 5 touchdowns, setting the franchise record for receptions and earning his first and only trip to the Pro Bowl. He also returned 29 punts for 413 yards and 2 touchdowns, giving him a league-leading 14.2 yards per return average. During the AFC Championship Game at Heinz Field against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs that season, Brown returned a crucial punt for a touchdown which provided the winning margin, adding to the two he returned for touchdowns during the regular season. He also scooped up a blocked field goal attempt in that game, and made a lateral pass to teammate Antwan Harris, which completed a second special teams touchdown. In 2002, he recorded 97 receptions for 890 yards and 3 touchdowns. In 2003, he had 40 catches for 472 yards, helping his team back to Super Bowl XXXVIII.

In 2004, he had only 17 receptions, but contributed in what was originally an emergency role on defense, ranking second on the team in interceptions with three. He was topped in this category only by Eugene Wilson. Further demonstrating his versatility, during the 2006 preseason he lined up as an emergency quarterback; when questioned as to why Brown had appeared there, the head coach of the Patriots, Bill Belichick, joked that he had lined Brown up there "to develop his legend".

Brown was released by the Patriots on March 1, 2005, for salary cap reasons, but he signed a new contract with them on May 23, 2005. He signed despite a better financial deal from the New Orleans Saints. In the 2005 season, he recorded 39 receptions for 466 yards.

On July 17, 2007, Brown reached an agreement with the New England Patriots for a 15th season, making him the second longest-playing Patriot at the time behind Steve Grogan; both have since been surpassed by Tom Brady. On July 28, he was placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, but was activated on November 27.

In addition to playing offense and defense with success, Brown is the Patriots' all-time leading punt returner with 252 returns for 2,625 yards and 3 touchdowns. He is third all-time in Patriots history in receptions (557) and third all-time in receiving yards (6,366). He still holds the Super Bowl record for most punt returns in a career with 8.

Brown is the only player in NFL history with at least 550 receptions, 250 punt returns, and an interception.

2006 AFC divisional playoffs

A memorable moment for Brown came in a 2006 AFC Divisional Playoff game, when the Patriots met the favored San Diego Chargers. With 5 minutes left in the game, the Patriots were down 21–13 and facing 4th and 5. Tom Brady threw his third interception of the game, to the Chargers' Marlon McCree. Brown, making what teammate Tedy Bruschi described as a "quick mental switch" from offensive to defensive player, instinctively ripped the ball out of McCree's grasp. The fumble was subsequently recovered by the Patriots Reche Caldwell, giving them a new set of downs. New England went on to tie the score with a touchdown and a two-point conversion, and then won the game on a 31-yard field goal. Brown also caught 5 passes for 39 yards in the game.

Legacy

Brown is a fan favorite among many Patriots fans due to his style of play and years of dedication to his team. His punt return in the 2001 AFC Championship along with numerous big plays throughout his Patriots career culminated in his induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame at Patriots Place.

Retirement

On March 13, 2008, The Boston Globe reported that the Patriots would not offer Brown a contract for the 2008 season. On September 25, 2008, Brown officially retired from professional football during a press conference alongside Patriots owner Robert Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick. He finished his playing career as the all-time leader for the New England Patriots in receptions with 557.

On June 4, 2012, it was announced that Brown was elected to the Patriots Hall of Fame by fan vote, beating out former head coach Bill Parcells and safety Fred Marion.

Coaching career

New England Patriots

At the beginning of the 2019 NFL season, he began coaching in an unofficial capacity with the New England Patriots, assisting wide receivers coach Joe Judge, who was often busy with his other role as special teams coordinator. In addition in 2016 he was a part of the Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship working with the Patriots.

In 2020 it was officially announced that Brown was on the Patriots coaching staff. He would be serving as the teams running backs/kick returners coach.

In 2021, Brown was announced as the wide receivers/kick returners coach.

In 2024, Brown was moved to a skills development role.

New York Giants

In 2025, Brown was hired by the New York Giants as an offensive assistant.

NFL career statistics

Legend
	Super Bowl champion
	Led the league
Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	Games		Receiving					Returning
		GP	GS	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Ret	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD
1993	NE	12	0	2	22	11.0	14	0	40	467	11.7	29	0
1994	NE	9	0	0	0	10.0	0	0	25	216	8.6	78	1
1995	NE	16	0	14	159	11.4	31	0	31	672	21.7	38	0
1996	NE	16	0	21	222	10.6	38	0	29	634	21.9	51	0
1997	NE	16	6	41	607	14.8	67	6	–	–	–	–	–
1998	NE	10	0	23	346	15.0	52	1	17	225	13.2	39	0
1999	NE	13	1	36	471	13.1	37	1	46	676	14.7	54	0
2000	NE	16	15	83	944	11.4	44	4	41	519	12.7	66	1
2001	NE	16	13	101	1,199	11.9	60	5	30	426	14.2	85	2
2002	NE	14	13	97	890	9.2	38	3	24	175	7.3	27	0
2003	NE	12	10	40	472	11.8	82	4	29	293	10.1	23	0
2004	NE	12	0	17	184	10.8	22	1	12	83	6.9	23	0
2005	NE	13	3	39	466	11.9	71	2	7	30	4.6	7	0
2006	NE	16	9	43	384	8.9	23	4	2	16	8.0	12	0
2007	NE	1	0	Did not record any stats
Career		192	70	557	6,366	11.4	82	31	339	4,487	13.2	85	4

Postseason

Year	Team	Games		Receiving					Returning
		GP	GS	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Ret	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD
1994	NE	1	0	0	0	10.0	0	0	2	5	2.5	5	0
1996	NE	2	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	2	54	27.0	29	0
1997	NE	2	0	3	38	12.7	24	1	1	0	0.0	0	0
1998	NE	1	0	4	46	11.5	21	0	4	27	6.8	17	0
2001	NE	3	3	18	253	14.1	29	0	10	148	14.8	55	1
2003	NE	3	2	17	175	10.3	18	0	7	81	11.6	28	0
2004	NE	3	1	5	41	8.2	12	0	7	46	6.6	20	0
2005	NE	2	1	2	44	22.0	33	1	1	0	0.0	0	0
2006	NE	3	1	9	97	10.8	27	0	4	39	9.8	16	0
Career		20	8	58	694	12.0	33	2	38	400	10.5	55	1

Post-playing career

Entertainment

Since 2008, Brown has been a football analyst with NBC Sports Boston. Brown, along with teammate Tom Brady, played himself on the Family Guy episode "Patriot Games". He also had a cameo in the 2012 film The Three Stooges, alongside Jerod Mayo.

Business

Brown is an investor in and spokesman for the Narragansett Brewing Company.

Personal life

Brown currently resides in Huntington, West Virginia, where a portion of West Virginia Route 10 was designated Troy Brown Way.

Brown and his ex-wife Kimberly (who works as a chemist for the United States Army Corps of Engineers), have two sons.

He works with various charities through the Troy Brown Fantasy Football Camp. He also worked with the Bartrum Brown Football Camp from 2001 through 2011.

External links

• New England Patriots coach profile
• Patriots Hall of Fame profile