Former New England Patriots Player David Patten Dies At 47

FOXBOROUGH, MA — David Patten, a Patriots Super Bowl champion, has died at the age of 47.

The State - a newspaper out of South Carolina where Patten lived, reported his passing early Friday, saying Patten was riding a motorcycle Thursday night and died after a collision, the Richland County coroner confirmed Friday morning.

The news hit Twitter Friday morning, rocking the NFL world.

Former Patriots player Richard Seymour sent out a heartfelt tweet upon hearing of his passing.

Patten had a long-running NFL career with many memorable catches, with his most memorable moment being his catch in the Patriot's first Super Bowl win with Tom Brady at the helm in 2002.

Patten's touchdown catch in Super Bowl XXXVI was the first postseason touchdown pass of Tom Brady's career.

In that game, Patten collected eight catches for 107 yards against the St. Louis Rams.

In the 2001 season, Patten became the first player since 1979 to catch a touchdown, rush for a touchdown, and throw a touchdown pass all in the same game.

Patten left the Patriots after the 2004 season, but he re-signed with the team in 2010, before he retired that summer.

After his successful career in the NFL, Patten returned to Western Carolina to finish his college degree, while helping out with Western Carolina University's football staff.

He then became a minister and motivational speaker.