TROY BROWN: A CLASS ACT ALL THE WAY

On September 25, former Patriots wide receiver/defensive back Troy Brown officially announced his retirement from the NFL. Brown, who hadn't been a full-time player since 2006, played wide receiver for the Pats from 1994-2007, and came through late in his career as a nickel back when the New England defense was hurting. With the Red Sox pushing for another World Series, and the Patriots trying to stay afloat without Tom Brady, we never got a chance on the show to talk about Brown's farewell.

Troy Brown was one of the Patriots all-time greats. An eighth round pick from Marshall University in 1993 (198th overall), Brown caught 557 passes in his career, for 6,366 yards and 31 receiving touchdowns. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 2001, played in four Super Bowls (winning three of them), and was one of the most dangerous punt returners in the NFL for quite some time.

Brown's versatility made him a rare commodity in today's National Football League. He was naturally a wide receiver and return man, but played admirably on defense when injuries forced him into the situation. He picked off three passes in 2004, putting him second on the team behind only safety Eugene Wilson, who picked off four. He was even listed as the fourth string quarterback in 2006. When asked why he had put Brown as the fourth signal caller on the roster, coach Bill Belichick said "to develop his legend." Mission accomplished.

I will have two lasting memories of Troy Brown. The first was in the 2001 season (2002 playoffs), when Brown dashed straight up the middle in Pittsburgh, returning a punt 55 yards for a touchdown to open the scoring, nine minutes into the first quarter of the AFC Championship game. The Pats went on to win that game by seven points and advance to Super Bowl XXXVI, where they stunned the "Greatest Show on Turf" St. Louis Rams 20-17.

The other was his amazing strip of Chargers defensive back Marlon McCree in a 2006 playoff game in San Diego. With New England trailing 21-13 in the fourth quarter, the Patriots drove to the Chargers 41 yard line. On fourth down, Tom Brady was picked off by McCree, who was stripped by Brown while trying to return the pick. Reche Caldwell recovered the fumble, and the Patriots went on to score the touchdown and game tying two-point conversion, and eventually won the game on Stephen Gostkowski's 31-yard field goal with just 1:10 remaining.

Troy Brown retired as the Patriots all-time leader in punt returns (252) and punt return yards (2,625). He his first in team history in receptions (557), and is second to only Stanley Morgan in receiving yards (Brown had 6,336, Morgan had 10, 352).

Brown never got into trouble off the field, and was always a consummate professional on it. Troy Brown was a class act for his entire career. He was both the ultimate team player and a game-changer, one that could turn the momentum of any game with a long punt return or touchdown grab. Troy Brown was a huge part of the Patriots success, and there will never be another quite like him.