Happy Birthday: Troy Brown Turns 44 Today

He is a three-time Super Bowl champion. He is a member of the Patriots' Hall of Fame. He is a New England sports icon. Today, Troy Brown celebrates his 44th birthday.

Before he became all that – a winner and a superstar – Troy Brown was an eighth round draft pick out of Marshall in 1993. While pick number 199 produced the best quarterback the Patriots franchise has ever seen, pick number 198 produced one of its greatest wide receivers.

In his 15-year career, Brown appeared in 192 games – all with the Patriots – and caught 557 passes, the second most in franchise history (behind Wes Welker). Furthermore, he amassed 10,442 all-purpose yards (also second best in team history, behind Kevin Faulk) and a franchise-record 2,625 punt return yards.

Brown was an ace on offense and special teams – and he was serviceable as a cornerback as well. In week eight of the Patriots' Super Bowl winning 2004 season, he appeared at the position for the first time. Brown would end the year with three interceptions, second-most on the team.

Whatever the coaching staff asked him to do, he did it – exemplifying the so-called Patriot Way. Brown was a hard worker, a team player and a great presence on and off the field. Because of all that, he was voted a member of the Patriots' 50th anniversary team in 2009. Three years later, he was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame. While he still waits for his call into the Pro Football version (which will likely never come), he achieved a status not many in New England have: he became a legend.

Happy birthday, Troy!

Troy Brown career highlights: