Sep 25, 2008 12:49 pm US/Eastern
Patriots WR Troy Brown Retires
FOXBORO (WBZ) ―
New England Patriots wide receiver
Troy Brown has officially retired.
Brown made the announcement on Thursday at Gillette Stadium with his family, Head Coach Bill Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft by his side.
Brown thanked Belichick for believing in him, and admitted it was hard to leave the sport he loves so much. "It's just kind of hard to let it go," he said as he fought back tears. "I can't keep up anymore the way I used to."
Read: Brown's Interview With WBZ At The Super BowlBrown spent his entire career with the Patriots since he was drafted in the eighth round out of Marshall in 1993.
Brown has not played this season and in 2007, he played in one game. Brown had undergone knee surgery after the 2006 season.
His 557 catches are the first in team history and his 6,366 yards receiving are second to Stanley Morgan's 10,352. "He had some big plays for us on the defensive side of the ball," Belichick said. "Troy, we have so many great memories of you and all that you've done for this organization."
The wide receiver played in one Pro Bowl after the 2001 season.
Troy Brown's Career Stats and Highlights "It's been a part of my life since I was in second grade, 30 years," Brown said. "You can't outrun Father Time."
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
