1. David Patten was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League.
27 Facts About David Patten
1. 2.
David Patten played college football for the Western Carolina Catamounts.
3.
David Patten was a member of the New York Giants, Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots.
4.
David Patten played football at Lower Richland High School in Hopkins, South Carolina, where he caught passes from future Major League Baseball player Pokey Reese.
5.
In 1995, his senior season, David Patten recorded 59 catches for 881 yards and was named to the All-Southern Conference team.
6.
David Patten went undrafted in the 1996 NFL draft but began his professional football career by playing for the Arena Football League's Albany Firebirds in the summer of 1996.
7.
David Patten was waived by the Giants on August 24,1997, and re-signed to their practice squad the next day.
8.
David Patten played in 16 games for the Giants in 1997, catching 13 passes for 226 yards and returning eight kickoffs for 123 yards.
9.
In 1998, David Patten played in 12 games for the Giants, returning 43 kickoffs for 928 yards and one touchdown, while catching 11 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown.
10.
In 1999, his final season with the Giants, David Patten played in 16 games, leading the team with 33 kickoff returns for 673 yards as well as recording nine receptions for 115 yards.
11.
David Patten spent one season with the team, starting 10 of 14 games and recording 38 receptions for 546 yards.
12.
In 2001, David Patten signed as a free agent with the New England Patriots.
13.
David Patten started 14 games at wide receiver for the Patriots in 2001, setting a then-career-high with 51 catches for 749 yards.
14.
David Patten scored on a 29-yard end around on the Patriots' first offensive play.
15.
In 2002, David Patten again started 14 of 16 games, setting a career-high with 61 receptions, 824 yards, and five touchdowns while leading Patriots receivers with 13.5 yards per catch.
16.
David Patten started five of the team's first six games in 2003 before being placed on injured reserve on November 7.
17.
David Patten finished the season with 22 receptions for 217 yards.
18.
In 2006, David Patten played in the first four games of the season, recording one reception for 25 yards, his only catch of the season.
19.
David Patten was inactive for the remainder of the season except Week 17.
20.
David Patten was released by the Redskins on March 22,2007.
21.
David Patten went on to have the second-best season of his career statistically, catching 54 passes for 792 yards and three touchdowns.
22.
David Patten started three of the first four games for the Saints in 2008, but played in only one game after that due to injuries.
23.
David Patten finished the season with 11 catches for 162 yards and one touchdown and was released by the Saints following the season.
24.
David Patten signed with the Cleveland Browns for the second time on March 23,2009, as a free-agent.
25.
On February 24,2010, David Patten was signed by the Patriots.
26.
David Patten had returned to Western Carolina University to complete his degree in social work and, at the time of his death in 2021, he was entering his ninth season as an assistant coach for the Catamounts.
27.
On September 2,2021, David Patten died in a three-vehicle accident in Columbia, South Carolina, aged 47.