It's time for another episode of Pats from the Past our podcast Matt Smith alongside Brian Mooree, and we are pleased to be joined by Patriot Hall of Famer Troy Brown.
Troy, how are you doing today?
Doing awesome?
Man?
How about you guys? Doing great? Doing great?
Can't good to see you? Yeah, good to see it.
Get I see you guys much anymore?
Yeah?
I know that's that's too bad on our end, maybe not on your end. Let's see before we get started, Troy, why don't we tell fans who might not be aware, what.
Are you up to these days?
Well?
These days I'm actually, uh, I'm down in coaching now. So I've changed things up a little bit and decided to get back into the game. And that was the only way I could do it, is to become a coach. Couldn't play anymore, So I just decided to become a coach and stay involved in the game and.
And be right up in the action that way. Do you like it? I love it? I love it.
So.
I mean, a lot of a lot of good kids, a lot of interesting kids come through, and you get a chance to teach and share some of the things that I was able to do as a player some of the things I learned as a player, and it's actually pretty awesome to be able to share that with a lot of the players.
How much of that were you able to do as a twelve thirteen, fourteen, fifteen year veteran when young guys came in.
Did you do a lot of that?
Yeah?
So focused on your job.
Yeah, that was a lot of it, But it was it was different because I wasn't exactly involved in the game planning and you know, behind the scenes stuff that went down. It was everything that I got from them, you know, or whatever from the coaching staff, and then helped, you know, disperse that to the to the to the rest of the players and then kind of helped those guys understand firsthand, you know, what it took to get ready to play, you know, when I was still playing
as an older player. Being able to pass that knowledge down to the younger players, especially receivers, you know, it was uh, you know, it was a it was a good feeling too. But this side of ask is completely different. Now You've got to teach the whole entire thing to them, and you know, so it's it's a different type of fulfilling and feeling for me.
You saw first hand Troy as a player, the hours that these guys need to do the way what in your right mind went through your head to say, you know what, that seems like funding me to work eighteen twenty hour days. This seems like a good idea to do like well, because most of the modern players see the hours that goes into coaching and say.
No, then't made enough money where they don't write, so they have to do it.
Yeah, you got that right, right, you got that right. But you know, it's one of those things I think maybe.
At some point in my career where I've said I will never do this, and then as the end starts to creep near and near, you start to give it some thought, you know, and you think about it, and you know, yeah, you would.
I trying to get better love it, right, You better love it.
You better love it.
You better love this part of the game or you won't enjoy it, you know. So, And you know, thankfully for me, at this point in my life, I got two grown kids, I got one young son. You know, that's a little easier to manage for me, you know, And I'm able to spend time with him. Like this time of year where we've had some off days we've had we go home at a regular hour, so it's like just being a regular dad. It's got a regular
nine to five this time of year. Now when the season comes around, it's a little different, you know, and you're lucky to get home to tuck them into bed, you know, and you know, so you in the weekends obviously you know you're playing and you're traveling maybe whatever.
But for home games it's a little different. You get to spend a little time with them, you know, on Friday, get out of here a little bit early, and then Saturday you're able to you know, come in here and then you got some time before you have to be to the hotel that night, so you get to do some things that with them that way, go to check out a basketball game with them or whatever they're doing on Saturday.
You know, if they got basketball flag for whatever it is they're doing, that's great.
So you got a little bit of time to do stuff during the season. But you know, obviously it's not the kind of time that you would love just been with him during the season, but obviously just this time of year, you know, you make up for it because you would get home at a regular hour, you know, so it's not not not too bad.
So good.
As I was told before I took the job, is that you get uh, the same amount of time a teacher has off. It's basically when a coach has off in the off season, so combined, not not the whole summer like that like school for the summer, but combined into off season. So so that was a little bit of advice I received from another coaches who was already here.
That's good to know.
Yeah, well, okay, let's you want to any more coaches know that question?
Since I mean, I think Troy is you if you were to talk to a twenty five year old kid and you ask him about Troy Brown, that say, oh, yeah, Troy Brown, Hall of Famers in the Patriots Hall of Fame, one of the great players in franchise history. My guess is that a twenty five year old kid wouldn't know Troy Brown was cut right, yeah once twice?
Yeah, I think I was cut twice. So no, I know I was cut twice. Well, courselves did it, and then I wouldn't say I was cut. Well, you didn't make the team. How about I just wasn't re signed, yes, you know, oh until late so I was. I guess I was cut once and then not re signed because one particular time, you know, so.
Right, Patriots have a pretty good success with players in the one hundred and nineties as far as I mean.
Eighth round, which doesn't mean a lot today because there's more than one hundred and ninety eight picks, but there wasn't There was only there's only seven rounds now, one hundred and ninety eighth pick. So when you come in, you probably already feel like I'm behind the eight ball with a chance to make this roster, right, I mean, how that first camp did you feel like you did well enough to make the team?
Well, when you don't know any better when you're coming in, it's like all I wanted was an opportunity. So the first round would have been great. It could have got some drew bled so money, you know, that would have been awesome. But that didn't happen. But I got my foot in the door, so I was like, I'm fine, I'm going I'm gonna go ahead and make a name
for myself. I didn't really understand in the whole process of that me, being an eighth round picked me, I was gonna have less opportunities to somebody else, so until I really got here, and then I saw how the play count was going, and then oh, you got the last two snaps of our team and we get to wash it in. So uh, that's kind of when I
started figuring all that out. So but you know, as a young player, you know, you learn really quickly that, uh, you got to learn to make the best of those situations and be ready to go, you know, for those two plays that you might get all day. And for me, I was able to make it happen and perform and uh and put some good stuff out there that they could see. And then the key was is that being from a smaller school like Marshall, I had an opportunity
to play special teams. I played defense there as well, and uh, and then a lot of different things. So playing special teams was not like degrading to me. So like a lot of you know, guys who come from Michigan doing some Power five schools, special teams especial teams is kind of you know, they kind of looked down on that stuff back then. So and for me, it was just like an opportunity to get out there and say what I could do and get a spot on the team, and that's what happens.
So I was able to say I can cover.
Kicks, I can return kicks, I can return punts, I can cover punts, I can hold up on device. Whatever you needed me to do, I could do it, so and that helped me make the team.
I say I had asked that previous question Troy, because I think people all team Hall of Fame. He must have had this unbelievable career, which you did have a great career, but it wasn't like it started like that. You had to work your ass off in order to get there.
And I think.
I want to ask you is how much of a factor do you think in coming to New England.
And being there when Drew first started.
You know, you kind of immediately got that relationship going with Drew and you could see that you guys had a connection. How helpful do you think it was for you from a staying power standpoint to know that he was in your corner.
He's not picking the team. I'm not saying that, but do you think that.
That relationship was important to eventually getting on and staying on the team.
Yeah, it was definitely important. You know.
I remember coming here and his drew like in the we came here in the off during the summer whatever it was. We started off season training and he actually gave me the keys to his his Taurus. He had a he had a white tarist. He gave me the keys to it. Just from doing you know, being around him doing workouts and stuff. He was kind of generous like that. Of course, he had just bought a Porsche.
He just brought it. He just bought a blue Porsche. He had he had this what didn't go down like that? You know, I wish, Yeah, I wish.
But he gave me, you know, he gave me the keys to his his his dealership card that he had, you know, and uh told me, hey, go hey, do whatever you need to doing it, you know. And uh, so our friendship was you know there, and the trust was there, you know, even before we even set foot on the field. So just from off season training and stuff like that, so and uh and then being able to get on the field and show what I could do.
He always tells a story about you know, his dad would ask him about the receivers and how you know, who's good, really goodness, and that he said, well, we got some good guys, but this one guy, he's really good.
You got to you gotta see him thatad, you know.
So he always tells that story all the time about you know, his first stories from training camp and uh, who could play, who couldn't?
Or whatever?
He wearing number six or something? Right, you were weren't you wearing number six?
I was wearing number six?
Yes, I was, yeah, number six man, And uh, yeah, those were the good days, man, those were the good day.
So and uh, did that help you from a confidence standpoint, Troy, to know that. I mean, here's first round, pick first overall, pick first, pick money, all those things that you're saying, that that guy's in your corner. From a confidence stampoint, I.
Would sell, yes, But I didn't know those conversations was going on behind the scenes with he and the coaches that he was fighting for me to be on the team, you know, as as as guys that he liked, you know, and uh you know, and as you know, back in those days, it was it was more like if you weren't from a big school.
You were more likely you were gonna get cut.
You know whatever have of that, like, you know, they didn't think you could play or compete with these guys or whatever.
It was.
So so I didn't know he was fighting that much for me behind the scenes until you know, years later.
But when you so, I'm always curious when a guy who, especially a guy like you, who now we know what happened when you get cut and Coach Parcels calls you in the office, assuming he did, Yeah, do you get an indication when he's letting you go there that hey, stay in shape, Well we could come back to you here or is it you're just.
Cut and you don't know.
I didn't get any indication, not me, because I had I had a poor This is my second season. I was going into my second season. In the preseason, I had a poor showing in Green Bay. I think it was the last preseason game of of that of that of the of the season that year. And I didn't I didn't play great. I had a guy I had the balls strip from me and all this stuff, you know, and you know, and it it just wasn't a good showing.
So he called me in the office and said, I don't know, you know, what's going on with you, but we're gonna have to you let you go. And there was no indication whatsoever about staying in shape, but we'll bring you back in a week two weeks. You know, when I was out of football for nine weeks, I think it was nine weeks, eight or nine weeks.
Did you think that was it? Did you think that was it? That your dreams?
Yeah?
I felt like that was it because I had a couple of visits that I went on and I was still working out back at Marshall, you know, catching punts or whatever.
Running it's trying to stay in shape.
And then it got around like what week six seven, somewhere in there, I went in and out and rolled back in school. I started working at the UH at the at the Boys and Girls club there, you know, and and I said, well, you know, this is what
it is. I'll be back in school in January. And you know, it was just as soon as I was putting, uh, putting the claks up and getting ready to you know, look to the next chapter of my life, at a phone call from Bobby Greer saying, we're sending you a plane ticket to come back, you know, And so I said, okay, I'll be back.
First thing, think about this for a second.
Troy Brown is talking about ball security issues that he had in preseason that led to his being released. If there's one thing to ever sum up about Troy Brown in his career that you would never even think about, would be ball security, because if the ball was anywhere in the area code, Troy was going to get his hands on it and catch it, or if somebody else had his hands on it, I e. Marlon McCree in San Diego, he was going to get it out of
his hands. Well, I mean, how ironic is that that that ball security failed him but never failed you again for the rest, that must have been a lesson that you said, Well, if I'm going to get cut, it ain't going to be because I fumbled the ball.
And that's the executive attitude I took. That was the number out there.
I think at some point, I think how many touches I had of the ball without fumbling at some point, you know, I'm not sure if Kevin Falk or James bide Is somebody surpressed that at some point, but you know, uh, you know, so it became a major thing to me not to turn the football over no matter what you do, just don't turn it over. You know, if you return it for one yard and don't turn it over, you
still got a chance to score. If you return it for fifty yards down to the five and you fumble it and give it back to the other team, you know, which would you rather have the fifty yard to one? You know, you rather have the one yard return, so and you have possession of the football. So and uh, you know, you kind of had to adapt those attitudes to learn the ways of not just the NFL, but of Bill Parcells and and the way he coached the game and things that would get you beat.
As a football team.
And that was one of the quickest ways to get yourselves beat and cut obviously, so as to not have the ball at the end of the play.
So you come back.
You in ninety five, you start to carve out a little bit of a role, you know, catching some passes. Obviously, ninety six you have that amazing catch that everybody remembers in the season finale, lying on your back.
And then don't play in the Super Bowl that year?
Yeah, could you have played in the Super Bowl that year?
I would like to say I could have played, you know, I knew I was injured, and it was just a matter of how long I could have held up. What's the major issue of why I didn't play and what was the injury I had? I had hernias. I didn't know at the time. All I know was that I had pain in that area and in my groans, and they didn't know exactly what it was. And so at that point it was just like he Bill just was like, you know, Parcelles just said, I would love to you know,
I know it's killing you and questioning you. And I was sitting at the breakfast table crying. I was looking at him like this and I had tears in my eyes. Rolled him down and he said, I can't actually sent Johnny Parker over the strength coach to tell me that I couldn't play, because he didn't have the heart to
tell me. I couldn't you know that I wasn't going to be dressing for the game, you know, And I knew it all along because he didn't really I didn't practice all week, you know, we had we had that week here before and it was just like things that I was doing in practice, I'd be good until I did this, and then there'd be a shooting pain up my torso, you know, and then I'd be good for a little while and there'd be another shuitting paint up my Torso he just, you know, his his you know,
reasoning was at the end of the day, he just didn't know how long I was going to.
Hold up in the game and then be dout a body, right, you know, for having me in the game.
I don't think it's a stretch to say New England fan folklore that that decision. You know, you think about, okay, well, who's going to be the fifty third guy or the forty fifth guy in the Super Bowl?
How big of a decision could that be.
I think they're Patriot fans that say, Hassan Graham started that game and was on special teams and if it had been Troy Brown, there's no way that Howard would have returned that kick for a touchdown. I mean, that's how crazy some fans are, right, right.
Who knows, I know, I've heard that a lot right years, right, and I agreed I would have made that tackle.
Doubt no, maybe they would have double team blocked you though.
Because it was Troy possibly.
So.
But then over the next three years with.
Pete Carroll here ninety seven to ninety nine, you start to get a little more action. Terry Glenn injuries maybe help you out a little bit because you got more opportunities.
Yeah uh yeah, though Terry Gunn his injuries that did help me out a lot of being able to get on the field a little bit more, because at that point in ninety seven, now I had to reprove myself all over to a new coaching staff. They had no idea who I was, you know, after four seasons under Bill parcels So. And that was a process in itself.
But I think the biggest factor that helped me along the way was Ernie's MPAZI coming in in ninety seven, ninety eight, eight, yeah, and ninety eight and him coming in and watching tape of the ninety six ninety seven season and ninety six seasons and stuff like that, and then saying he was basically like and he told the story to me while he was smoking one of his cigarettes in his blue sweatsuit with his pens. Yeah, his pens,
and he you know, fidgeted around. He was just basically like, you know, I came in and I saw the tape, I said, I said, God, no, who's that Terry Glynn. They said, no, that's Troy Brown. I said, well, I gotta have that guy, you know.
So he was. Uh so he was.
He was a guy that ended up ended up saving my career into that coaching staff, you know, because at that point they were bringing they brought in Tony Simmons, you know, it was the early second round picks. He brought in Brian Stablind and at that particular time gave me three million dollars signing bonus, which was a lot of money at that particular for you know, a third guy, third fourth guy. You know that they just repaid they just paid Vincent Brisbee, you know, uh a pretty decent contract.
So and uh so it was looking like man, you.
Know, m he missed a big chunk too with his hamstring.
I think he had some hamstring injuries.
So they were forced in the and to playing me a lot there in ninety seven, you know, because a lot of those guys were just banged up. So and uh again, you know, you learn, you make that you make the best of your opportunities when you get a chance to make them. And uh so that ended up you know, having me stick around a little bit longer.
So and then you got a new coaching staff, right right, and well the new coaching staff.
So my words here, Troy, I want to say that the official Troy Brown coming out party Monday night football against Kansas City two thousand, Bill's first year, uh huh, Charlie's first year back as offensive coordinator. Would you agree with that number one? And do you think that maybe it's something clicked with Bill and Charlie where they said, you know, this guy's he's been undervalued. Look at what we got here. You know, what are we doing, Let's get this kid to ball.
I remember, well, I think it happened before then, because Bill was here in ninety six yep. And and I think one of the first things he did was he had Charlie called me. I was out in Kansas City on a visit. I was a free agent that year. I was out there on a visit and Charlie called and said that we want to we want to sign you back, you know, And then I'm like, I'm out
here a visit in Kansas City right now. Whatever he said, we said, well, we want to give you every opportunity to be a starting receiver in his league, and then I was like, okay, I'll be back, so I need to know and you started that yet because they weren't. They weren't talking that way in Kansas City. It was like they wanted me to come in and basically, you know, fight be whatever fourth guy, third fourth guy, maybe a
point returner, some kick returner. And you know, he said those words to me, like, you know, I'll be back on the next flight then and I got back, and you know, it was basically like, you know, I said, I saw you in how much trouble you gave my DBS when I was coaching here in ninety six, and you know, thought you practiced really well and practice hard
and you're a good player. And then he had to coach against me when he went to the Jets, you know, a couple of times a year, and he was like, you know, we had a hard time containing you and stopping you did so I mean, so we want we want to sign you back and give you a chance to be a be a starter here in the league.
So was it more did they talk to you about a role at that point? Was it was it like Wayne Krabbet type role because they had was.
Telling me I was a lot better than Wayne Cubit, you know, with the return ability.
So I agree with that.
I mean, I mean, according to him, you know, so that's that's what he was saying to me. And I'm like, you know, well I should be starting because Wayne's Wayne was a starting receiving the national and did pretty well for himself, you know, so and uh, you know, so according to him, that's what he was thinking.
And a small school guy, another small school.
Guy, hofsta, So you know, I mean, so that was uh, that was the deal. So, I mean, so all I when it was an opportunity, don't promise me you'll give me a spot, Just give me a just let me fight for it, you know, right.
Do you think then?
So do you think people in football outside of football knew what the concept of a slot receiver was at that time?
You know, I don't know because I don't remember really hearing the term as much as I did. You know, up until those days about the slot receiver, you know, I know, you had like, uh, you had the fun bunch in Washington and those type of guys you had, uh, the guys in Houston, the running shoot guys in in Atlanta. You know, so you had those guys, but you've never really heard like the slot receiver guy. You just heard like the running shoot, you know, and that type of
stuff and the fun bunch guys and so. Uh So I think that really started becoming a term, you know, I guess around the around those years. So I'm not really sure who started it off, if they really were, if they were using those terms back then. You know, I'm not really sure where it all started at, you know, but it became a big, big thing.
They have a good slot receiver the football team.
I'm not the historian, but I mean, wouldn't you say, from a Patriot standpoint that Troy is the first real slot receiver And look at how it look at how it's evolved since Troy, I mean, where it's become.
Three three highest catches in Patriot's history are slot receivers.
Right, And so it's now an integral part of the offense, isn't it.
Yeah, Well, we had a lot of success running with with that, with the slot receiver, so and it was it became something you were comfortable with and uh able to grow it. And then West came in and took it to whole other level, and Julian followed that up and you know, and we've got guys now is just you know, trying to fill those voys now. And so it became a very productive thing for us here in New England, uh, you know, over those years.
So I was just glad to be a part of it.
You know, I'm not sure exactly how it started, where it started, when it started, but you know, I was just happy to be a play.
My role in that part of in that part of the game.
If I could ask an x's and o's question related to that, is is it something where that in that position, in this offense where everything you do is maybe predicated on what the defense does and you and the quarterback being on the same page. So if I, you know, if I'm covering you and I turned my shoulders this way, you cutting that way, and the quarterback reads that, it depends on what route you have called.
Now there's plays you gotta call it. There's plays called and then you gotta run them, you know, and then you it may be an option route that you may have, it may not be an option route that you have. You know, you just gotta you gotta have a little bit of a little bit of savvy in there. When you're playing and a good feel for it and you and you gotta have a good relationship with the quarterback, you know.
And so I was able to grow with Drew.
I was able to grow with Tom and those roles and you just kind of learn each other and I know, you know what each other expect. He expected certain things from me. I expected certain things for him like not throwing me over the middle and getting my head knocked off, you know, and may not lead them into interceptions, right, so by my decisions, you know, based off the defense,
so that type of stuff. But you know, so it was uh so you know it it Yeah, you had to have a good relationship with the quarterback to be able to play. And that Dion Branch had a he was pretty good. He could play all over the place as well too, so what he was pretty good in there as well?
How does that happen?
Uh, Troy, how do you develop that kind of relationship? Because you mentioned it with Tom and that I would say that it's an understatement. I mean, certainly for those years Tom's first years, he was dialed in on you, you know, and knew where you were and and you were gonna be the if it was third and six, and he knew you were gonna get seven at least every single time.
How did that?
Div just started with building trust like I did with Drew, had to build it with him as well. So and it had to happen in the middle of the season with Tom because of what happened with Drew. And then Tom became the starter, but he was familiar with me too, with a few refs that he did have with me in practice, you know, and he knew I could make plays and and and then you know, kind of became comfortable with me that way. But it also took place in the off season as well too. You know, we
we were able to doing those times. We were able to work all all postseason sure, you know, and we could be in the bubble throwing, we could be in the creating stuff, you know what I'm saying, And let's see how this looks and see how that looks, you know.
So and that was all that was. That was a plus for us, you know, to be able to do that.
You know, Drew was there, Tom was there, so it just it worked out worked out pretty well for us, you know. And to be able to spend that kind of time together and get to know each other that way, and you know, they studied my body language and I would you know, they were tell me what they what they think and what they wanted. And then I knew, you know, for men not to do this, not to do that when this look and then make the right decision for him.
You know, I think, you know, you mentioned Drew and Tom so and I think we have three Drew Bloodsoe fans sitting in here. So I don't want to I want to make sure I'm clear on that. But when Drew got hurt, ye and Tom steps into that huddle and and we well, let's say week.
Three, his first start indie game.
Yeah, well, what did you The team had struggled the first two weeks offensively three points against the Jets, a tough opener in Cincinnati that year. What was the difference? Why did it change when Tom came in? From your perspective, obviously.
Well, it was a lot.
There was a lot going on that particular time too as well, you know, and uh, you know, just just trying to find some footing and trying to find a rhythm, you know, and then you know, we had not eleven that happened and then you know, he got your quarterback thats almost died in your locker room, you know, and having to you know, get him to the hospital as soon as possible. And so there was a lot going on with that football team. Those room was about firing
Belichick and all this stuff. You know, he was on the he was on the chopping blocks, and so it was a lot going on for our football team. So at that particular point, I think there was just a lot of behind the scenes meeting with you know, guys having you know, one on one meetings with each other and guys stepping up and seeing their peace with each other and we gotta do this and we gotta do that, so, you know, kind of soul searching as a football team.
And then we just said, you know, we gotta we gotta come out. We just got to play better football and uh not turn the football over, you know. And you know, Tom came in and he showed a poise that you know, I don't think anybody really expected him to show when he came in. And then his leadership skills on the splay, not that he was lighting the place up, but is there some of his decision making, his confidence that he played with you know, it just kind of permitted through everybody else.
I remember a conversation with you from back then and you probably remember it, but it was about the week or the day after the loss in Miami in September or early October where Tom got up in the team meeting and addressed the team about the preparation the week before.
Do you remember that.
I don't quite remember that one, but you know, but there was there was a lot of those types of things going on, you know, in the locker room and behind the scenes.
You know that, you know, guys get hard for a second year guy who hadn't played a game to lead a group where they had a bunch of veterans too.
I mean, yeah, yeah, that's a difficult thing to do for a lot of people, you know, but you know, you're the quarterback of the football team that you get you kind of get elevated to that spot and not everybody can step up to the plate like that and you know, speak their mind and and you know, and put that stamp on on that leadership spot on the team. And he was one of the guys that were able
to do that. So a six round pick guy who was a backup to the backup, you know, so we didn't even know who the starting quarterback was going to be really as players, you know, because that it was it was a Damian Hewett. Yeah, you know, so that was that we thought. I mean, it was the second team back, the second team, second strand quarterback, you know.
So we had the idea, you know, so we named Tom and that was it, and that maybe as players, you just put your out you keep playing, you know, and maybe that's.
How it played out in that year where you were saying a lot of things going on, you know, you haven't really been able to find yourself. And when Bill finally said, hey, look here's what we're doing. Tom's a quarterback. I know Drew's back, but we're going with Tom. Did that maybe just free everybody? Okay, now we know who it is, let's go. So you didn't you didn't lose from that point.
Yeah, you know. And and as players say, you just you just you just keep playing.
And that's one of the things that Bill talked about, you know, you guys just worry about playing and we'll make all the decisions out there. You just do your job, you know, And uh, that's what we did. And we just didn't really pay a lot of attention to, you know what else, all the stuff that was going outside of here, and you know about you know, who's going to play, who's not going to play, and that type of stuff, and then throughout the course of the season,
just staying focused. And I'll tell you what, then, the way Drew blesseolhandled the situation was admiral Wood itself.
You know, for sure, he allowed us to stay focused to do our.
Job instead of trying to go to this guy's locker and say, man, what do you think about them doing this to me? He didn't do any of that stuff. Man.
He just kept encouraging Tom and rooting them all and had to.
Help the rest of his team, right, Yeah, Troy, when you're talking with your kids, and maybe your kids are gonna ask you a question, like dad, you know, was your favorite play in your career? You know, was there something that you look back and say, you know, And so I was going to focus in on the AHTY Championship game in Pittsburgh. You know, would you prefer the punt return over you know, the scoop in the later roal? Do you have a play where you look back and go, boy, if I had to pick one.
This is the play that I remember, uh.
Me, not me, not being a Pittsburgh fan as a kid. Any play I meet against Pittsburgh is my greatest.
So but uh so then you love the exter Championship an championship game.
Was it was? It was?
It was great, you know.
So I mean, uh, picking the field go up and ladling it backwards to returning the punt for a touchdown.
After after a sixty plus yard punk was nullified by a penalty.
Yes, that was. It was a big time.
But I screwed that up to in the first punt because I didn't catch the ball on the sideline. I thought it was going to bounds and I think that hit that far from the sideline and then rolled like twenty yards down to say, you gotta be kidding me. Then Bills gonna cust me out on this, you know, And then I saw a flag. I was like, whoo man, But uh, you know, so they put they put the ball in the wrong hash right, and he was trying to get it over there and he screwed up the punting.
And you know what I remember about that right too, is they the uh the vice guys had the gunner blocked all the way back into the end zone.
That's what happens.
That's what happens when you got a punt again, those guys are tired or he brings somebody off the sideline who's not as good as the first guy. So you don't want to get penalties on the punt team. So and uh so that's what happened on that one man. They had them he was in then Zon when I got to them, Erry it was Lawyer malloy was Tyl Tyler had one guy picked up too somewhere in there.
So, yeah, they did a good job.
Where's the catch against the Rims in the Super Bowl?
Where do you? Where do you rank that?
Do you? That was? That was?
That was high up there too, you know, put us in the range for a field goal and Wiggas gave us a few few extra yards to make sure, you know. So that's just it was just a lot of plays I think, uh a lot of the players that I was able to share with my teammates, you know, like you know, things like the stripping the ball from Marlin
McCree in San Diego that year. You know, I like plays like more players like that and special teams plays you know that kind of helped us get into position and win win a football game, you know, like I said, like the block kick in Pittsburgh was huge, you know, Brandon Mitchell getting his calls up there and betting that thing down and then doing what we practiced, you know for years it was just scooping and scoring with the big guys on the field that can't catch you, you know,
scooping and scoring. I was scooped it up and I couldn't score, so A looted it back to uh Antoine Harris right there, you know so, and he took it in for the score. So it just plays like that.
There's a lot of team team coordination in that in that particular play, you know so.
And then okay, in your last Super Bowl Championship year, you obviously moved to the other side of the football. Can you elaborate for us how that went down? And Bill, if I know, Billy probably referenced that you played defense at Marshall, But.
Did he know.
I don't think he knew that. So I don't think he at that particular time. I don't think he knew that. I knew that.
I mean I've heard him talk about you know, he thought you could match routes and you had, you know, being in the slot and having played that position.
But how did it happen specifically for you?
Like when they came to you, were you like what?
Well, at first I didn't know how to take it was. It was Eric Mangini that came.
I was sitting in front of my lock of minding my own business, getting ready for a training camp practice, you know, and he comes in with this little highlight, so this is covered two, you got cover three whatever it is, you know, and uh, are you playing defense today? You know you're doing one on one. You're doing one on ones and all this stuff. So and uh, I'm like looked at him like seriously. He was like yeah, seriously. And I was just like like, all right, Dan, I
give you the best that I got. So that's all I said to him. So I continued to get dressed and metim on the.
Field and showing up. I was doing one on ones and and you know all the little drills they do to get warmed up.
It wasn't a discussion about it. You were just like, here's what you're doing, and you said, okay, great.
Yeah.
I was like yeah, did you think, what do you mean, I'm not playing my receiver anymore?
I give you the best that I got. I mean, I wasn't. I wasn't.
I wasn't afraid of that. I was just like you know, I mean, we're at that time, you know, it was it was later in my career. We had we had good receivers on the team. We had David David Gibbons, we had d Branch I think David pat was still there, you know.
So we had Bethel Johnson was here.
So we had some some talent on the football team that would allow to give us some flexibility to go over and play on that side of that ball, just at least at least for practice anyway.
So so yeah, did you ever think, well, did you ever think when you're practicing in training camp, like you know, I get it. This is an emergency situation.
They got to see what. I don't know what. I had no idea what the playing was.
But this will never happen, Like I'm never I'm not going to play in the game.
Super Bowl.
We still we still had ten leven receivers on the roster. It wasn't like this was late in training camp or something. You know, this was like right in the heart heart of camp so and so I didn't know the roster wasn't paired down yet, so I had no idea what was what was on Bill's mind, you know what he was thinking at that particular time.
So the more you can do, the more you can do, The more.
You can do, the more you can do. But it wasn't pretty. I mean, I'm telling you what at the first that first practice, man, so So.
Did you end up talking trashed with Drew Bledsoe after you after you intercepted him.
I didn't. I didn't really talk any trash.
It was.
It was one of those things where I just, uh, it was like just just a sweet moment and I was celebrating and jumping in Teddy's arm, you know that stuff, and like so happy I got a pick, and then it set in and I just picked off Drew Bledsoe, you know, and I was like, oh, man, so, how do I how do I handle.
This one after the game? You know, and all that stuff.
So it was like, you know, and I just I didn't really feel bad, but I just like felt like this is just too awkward.
Man.
Well in the Hall of Fame, coach does the breakdowns the illustrated we call it, and that's one of the plays he did.
And I love his line at the end.
I tried caught a lot of passes from Drew blood Cell over the years, and he got this one on defense or something like that.
I mean, it was going back a couple of weeks though, you know, this was before the Buffalo game when I think it's a sante that went down in Saint Louis and you guys are playing the Rams and that's your first time playing. Like, all of a sudden, somebody's I don't know if it's Eric, I don't know who was saying, all right, Troy, you're up, Like what was going through your mind?
Then? Like, oh, I'm actually going in the game.
I'm at the miked up audio from the Rams sideline. They got Troy Brown in there.
Right, I'm telling you what.
And I didn't know all that, like you know, Bill, like they go through all this stuff, you know, and found out later that, you know, he was hoping that at least they would get to the second half, the third fourth quarter or so before I had to go in and play. It was two plays, two plays into the game, right, and it was like all right, Joy, you gotta you gotta go in So and it was against the Rams of all, absolutely right, you know, and
they was still a very talented foot ball team. They didn't have Kirk, but they had.
You know, it was aulder Mark Bulger.
He didn't have the arm strength because I got beat one time pretty bad, you know, and he couldn't get the ball out there to him. But uh, you know it was uh touchdown. Even even the backs were good pass catches. Marshall Faulk was, you know, right. So they had across the board, you know, four or five guys that can come in and catch passes for him.
And in the back it was really good too.
So yeah, there was a lot of pressure, scared situation to be in in that particular time, you know, as a guy that just hadn't played defense in ten years, eleven.
Years, whatever whatever it was, you know, and uh, amazing, you know.
So we got that game, you know, unscathed, and you just kind of start relaxing after that and just like, hey, if I gotta play, I gotta play.
That is what it is, is that kind of the attitude. And and you touch upon him maybe a second earlier, with Brian. But is that maybe the attitude of those Patriot teams back then, Troy, whatever it takes, got to.
Play tight end. You're playing tight end, Richard Seymour, you're blocking it full back.
Whatever you have to do, whatever it takes. Man, guys just played. I know, for me, it was just I just want to play football. You know, I don't care if you call me a wide receiver, you called me a slot wide receiver, you called me an outside wide.
Receiver, you called me a punt returner. I just wanted to play ball, you know. And that was it, you know.
So you you know, and I signed up you know whatever, you sign me up as you need me to do, you need me to play, That's that's what I do.
Okay, help my team in the games.
So would you play the last play in Miami differently that year when that was the game that Brady was falling down and threw an interception at the end and they were two and twelve and I think they running that game.
Yeah, they scored at the last I.
Think different I would look back for the ball. I would look back for it, you know. So as and as I learned, you know, as the guys told me. It happens to all of us. You got to be a dB. Now you got to forget quickly. And that's what I did. So forgot quickly. And I remember hearing all this stuff over. They got a week spot in the defense. They got a week spot in the defense, you know, and it's like Bill kept me out there.
So it is.
But you know, but that happens, dB.
And you covered Terrell Owens in the Super Bowl on some plays.
I mean, we're not talking about like they probably said, oh, we're gonna get t o on Troy if we can, and you know he had some big plays in that game, but not on you.
Yeah, well not on me. Neither did another knuckle had there either.
Day Mitchell, Freddy Mitchell.
Fred x yeahd Mitchell man.
He was Bill Belichick after the game, and Sports Illustrated quoted saying, Freddie Mitchell stinks.
I don't think you haven't played another game in the NFL.
I don't think so either.
Troy.
We're talking about, you know, the road to get where you got and then the six and people see all the success that you had. Was there ever a time? You know, after being cut and well what can I do? And now it's a new coach, and well now it's a new administration. Was there ever a time were you allowed yourself to feel comfortable.
Like, nope, I made the team, not to that point, not after that.
So and that always drove you.
It was always a feeling of looking around the corner, especially in the old stadium, and looking around the corner to see western your locker.
I tell people that all the time.
So it just it becomes it became like second nature to me to always check before I walk completely into the room.
Don't you think that keeps you on your toes?
I mean I tell my kids, I tell my kids' stories like that, like like, don't ever think you've got it, Like, even when you think you got it, your head better be on a shwivel, man.
No doubt.
It's it's not a not a great feeling to have something that you worked hard for and then you lose it, you get fired from it. It's not a great feeling. And uh, and it's something that it was a feeling I never wanted to feel again. Of course I did at some point, but it wasn't gonna be because I had the kind of off season that I had. I didn't I felt comfortable because I felt comfortable.
After my first year. I'd made it.
I was an NFL player, I was an eighth round pick, number one ninety eight. I was comfortable with being able to put that on my resume at that particular time. You know, I'm an NFL player, and that was I was good with that, you know, so you you and as a young player, I was like, I tell all of these young guys too when they come in here. Now, I was like, don't be that guy. And then I finished up the story with that I was that guy that,
you know. I went back to Marshall. I partied, you know, I drank, you know, I came in not particularly in the best shape that I should have.
Been in, and it cost me so and I'm like, don't be that guy.
Don't be that guy, because I was, you know, not that I didn't go out or anything when I was at Marshall, but I was not a big drinker, you know, and I wasn't all those things, you know, and I wasn't you know, partying, but you know, that's what I kind of turned into for a little while, you know, because I.
Had made it, you know, so i'd made it. You know a big time. My dream is complete.
I'm in the NFL, and you know, and I just never wanted to feel that way ever again, and feeling like not that they took it from me, but I gave.
It away, you know so well, Troy. Yeah, I talked to kids.
We do a lot of virtual field trips right now, especially, and so I'll get a Q and A from the kids, and they'll say, and never really ask who's your favorite player? And I always bring you up. And I always quote that that because you said that to me years ago. He said, I just come in every day and make sure my stuff is still in my locker. And I use that example with the kids because I say, this guy never took a.
Day in the NFL.
For granted, he caught one hundred and one balls and still knew that job security was an issue and worked every day it was his last.
And I use that as an example.
So I think it's an inspiring story.
Yeah, no doubt, man, it is.
It is the one thing you should ever ever get comfortable with, no matter what you do, you know, no matter how great a season you had or how great you know. And one thing Parcels always says, you're You're only good as the last game, you know so, and uh, all your last play and whatever that was, that's what they're gonna remember you by, you know so, and uh and it was it was a it was a it was a great quote from him and it and it stays two.
To this day.
Last one for me, then, Troy would be is that message? Can you see that that message would resonate with a Jacobe Myers or with a Gunner ro Chefsky somebody like that, who they're not a first round pick. You know, there's not a lot of money.
Attached to it.
But if you do work, if you do what these coaches are trying to tell you to do, you know, they don't care where you were drafted, they don't care how you got in the door. There's an opportunity here and maybe, like what I did, is it just just don't ever take anything for granted. Do you think that that can work with the younger player today.
Well, no doubt.
I mean I think there's still you know, still the same type of people you have back then too, because there's some people that hurt it then and there's some people that hear it now. There were some people who didn't hear it then, and there's some people that don't hear it now.
You know.
And the ones who get it and get it the fastest are the ones who are gonna survive the longest in this league, you know. And that's just the way it is, you know what I'm saying. So it could be here, it could be anywhere, you know, so but those are the ones that are gonna have a decent career in this league. Is the ones who get it the fastest. So and if you if few of those guys that just kind of slap it out there on a regular basis, you know, and it's gonna catch up
to you. It's gonna catch up to you sooner or later. And then you see all the guys the Troy Brown's out of Wes Welkers, out of Danny A. Mondola's out of you know, all those guys that a catch up to you in a heartbeating this league. So, you know, and that's just the way it goes, you know, Because what's more important to a coach is he needs good players. But that coach too needs job security too, so so he's gotta he's gotta put some good players on the field,
you know, to keep his job. That's an eighth round pick, that's a free agent, that's not playing somebody else. And that's just the way it is.
My last question, Man asked you about favorite plays. Is it just something in general that when you look back on your career that you're most proud of.
Plays I play?
No, No, he asked you about the play.
I'm just saying just in general, like if you look back, like maybe your legacy or what, what are you most proud of that you accomplished as a player.
Oh, Man, as a lot, a lot to be thankful for and and be grateful for that happened throughout the course of my career.
Getting cut was one of them.
Was I'm thankful for that moment, you know where that opened my eyes to a lot of stuff, you know, uh, being able to play defense and and play that important role. And and not because it was something to show off, you know, that you could do to you know, you know, kind of slap it out there, say an offensive guy
playing defense. You know, it was just we needed we needed somebody to go in and play, you know, your football team, a football team needed me, you know, and was able to step up and then be able to hold your own. I had a lot of support, you know, from a lot of guys on that side of the ball when I was doing it, so uh, but being able to step in and do that, you know, I sometimes I always just feel like I saved somebody's jobs.
Somebody didn't need to get cut for me to go do that, for them to bring and somebody else.
You know.
So those kinds of moments like that, you know, things that I'm kind of the most proud of and obviously being able to you know, win three super Bowls and those moments, Uh, those are those are great moments, man, I always think about and that I'm very proud of that, uh and things that we were able to accomplish, you know as a football team. So and uh So I don't know if that's is that enough things right there? Those are things finish it with supporting to me?
So yeah, finish it with a red jacket.
I mean I finished it with a red jacket, you know. Thank you, you know to the fans and people that voted out there and what they're kind of one hundred percent is undred fans yep. Yeah, So I mean that's you know, that's you know, pretty pretty impressive. You know they have that many people like the way you play the game so.
Well, you give him a reason to like it.
Troy, he left everything on the field, uh, one of the one of the most decorated Patriot players of all time.
Now a coach with the team all into one roof.
How great is that that Troy run has spent his professional career today as a new Patriot.
Thank you, Thank you so much for joining. Thank you appreciate it.
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