Patriots Announce Player Signings

Courtesy of the New England Patriots

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 17, 2007

PATRIOTS RE-SIGN WR TROY BROWN; ALSO INK TWO DRAFT PICKS

      FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots re-signed veteran wide receiver Troy Brown today.  The team also signed 2007 sixth-round draft picks Justin Rogers and Justise Hairston. Terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

      Brown, 36, has spent his entire pro career with the Patriots after being drafted in the eighth round (198th overall) of the 1993 NFL Draft. In his 14 professional seasons, the 5-foot-10-inch, 196-pound receiver has played in 191 games, placing him tied for fourth on the franchise’s all-time games played list. He has been the longest-tenured member of the team since 2002 and was voted an offensive captain for each of the last five seasons (2002-06).

      Brown is the team’s all-time leading receiver with 557 career catches and also places second in team history with 6,366 receiving yards.  He is also the Patriots’ all-time leading punt returner with 246 career returns for 2,570 yards and is tied with Irving Fryar for the team mark with three punt returns for touchdowns.  In 2004, he added defense to his resume as he saw significant action in the defensive backfield and finished second on the team with three interceptions.

      Last season, Brown played in all 16 games with nine starts and finished third on the team with 43 receptions for 384 yards and four touchdowns.  The receptions total were his most since he posted 97 in 2002.  In November, he passed Stanley Morgan for first place on the Patriots all-time receiving list with a first down catch along the sideline against the Indianapolis Colts.  In the divisional playoffs, Brown continued his knack for making big plays, forcing a key fumble in the Patriots’ 24-21 victory over the San Diego Chargers.  Following a Marlon McCree interception in the fourth quarter, Brown stripped the football allowing Reche Caldwell to recover the loose ball and return possession to the Patriots at the San Diego 32-yard line.

      The Marshall University product was named to the Pro Bowl in 2001, a season in which he set the Patriots’ single-season franchise record with 101 receptions. That year, he recorded 1,199 receiving yards, placing him second on the team’s single-season list behind Stanley Morgan (1,491 yards in 1986). He followed up his record-setting campaign with a 97-catch season in 2002, a mark that ranks second in team history to his own 2001 total. Also that year, he recorded a team-record 16 catches in a game against Kansas City at Gillette Stadium (9/22/02).

      In 2004, Brown earned accolades for his play on offense, defense and special teams, showing a level of versatility unmatched in recent NFL history. After injuries had taken a toll on the Patriots’ secondary, Brown pitched in as the team’s nickel back for the final nine games of the regular season and for all three of the Patriots’ postseason contests as New England won Super Bowl XXXIX. He finished second on the team with three interceptions in the 2004 regular season and matched his reception total with 17 tackles on defense.

      The Blackville, S.C. native has been a key contributor to each of the Patriots’ three Super Bowl runs. In 2001, Brown led the team with 18 postseason receptions as New England won its first world championship in Super Bowl XXXVI. In that game against the St. Louis Rams, Brown led the team with six receptions and 89 yards, including a key 23-yard grab on the game-winning drive. Two years later, he tied for the team lead with 17 playoff receptions as the Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVIII over Carolina. He was again a key contributor in that game, finishing second on the team with eight receptions, including three grabs on the game-winning drive. In 2004, Brown played on offense, defense and special teams in all three playoff games, recording a total of five receptions and six tackles during New England’s Super Bowl XXXIX title run.
Brown’s career statistics include 191 games played (with 70 starts), 557 receptions for 6,366 yards and 31 touchdowns, 246 punt returns for 2,570 yards and three touchdowns, 87 kickoff returns for 1,862 yards, 30 rushes for 178 yards, 18 defensive tackles (16 solo), three interceptions and five passes defensed.         

          Rogers, 23, was selected in the sixth round (180th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft out of Southern Methodist. The 6-foot 4-inch, 250-pound linebacker earned first-team All-Conference USA honors in 2006 after posting 9.5 sacks, a mark that ranked 13th in the nation. The Greenville, Texas native started 26 of 44 career games, posting 183 tackles (117 solo), 19.5 career sacks, five forced fumbles and a blocked kick.

      Hairston, 24, was drafted in the sixth round (208th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft out of Central Connecticut. The 6-foot 1-inch, 220-pound running back rushed for a school record 1,847 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior in 2006. The New Britain, Conn. native notched a school record 332 rushing yards against St. Francis (Pa.) last season, including an NCAA record 197 rushing yards in the first quarter alone.