‘Great human being, man of God’: Lower Richland, NFL remember David Patten
Bill Kimrey had plenty of football memories to share about David Patten, but it was his character and life away from the game that he wanted to talk about the most.
Patten played for Kimrey at Lower Richland High School from 1989-92. The former Diamond Hornets coach reflected on his former player Friday after learning of his death.
David Patten died in a motorcycle accident on Thursday. He was 47 years old.
“David was a pleasure to coach and a great person to know,” Kimrey said. “He was a really good football player, but a great human being and a man of God for sure. His faith always came first.”
Kimrey recalled Patten coming by his house on several occasions to spend time with Kimrey’s son, Kevin, who was paralyzed during a game of flag football.
On the field, Kimrey said Patten always stayed after practice and worked on his game. Kimrey admitted that his run-oriented Wing-T offense didn’t showcase Patten’s talents as a receiver enough, but he helped in other ways, especially blocking.
Years later, Patten joked with his former coach about the 1991 state championship game. The Diamond Hornets lost to Laurens 28-27 in the Class 4A Division II title game.
“I ran into David at Lower Richland a few years ago, and he said, ‘Coach, just want to let you know I forgive you for not throwing me a touchdown pass in the state championship game,’ ” Kimrey said while laughing.
Patten went on to play at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina, where he was an all-Southern Conference receiver as a senior. After college and a brief stint with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League, Patten told Kimrey he thought about giving up his dream of playing in the NFL.
Patten returned to Columbia and was working at a warehouse when he showed up at an NFL pro day event and ran between a 4.3- and 4.4-second 40-yard dash, Kimrey said. The New York Giants signed Patten to a free-agent contract, and he went on to play 12 seasons in the NFL.
“That is the kind of player he was. He worked hard and didn’t take no for an answer,” Kimrey said.
Patten caught 324 passes for 4,175 yards and 24 touchdowns in his pro career and was best known for his two stints with the New England Patriots, where he was a part of three Super Bowl championship teams.
One of his most famous catches came in Super Bowl XXXVI against the St. Louis Rams when he made a leaping grab in the end zone from Tom Brady to give the Patriots a 14-3 lead. It was Brady’s first TD pass in a Super Bowl. New England went on to win the game on its way to the first of six Super Bowl championships.
In 2001, against Indianapolis, Patten became the sixth player since 1960 — and the first since Walter Payton in 1979 — to rush for a touchdown, catch a touchdown pass and pass for a touchdown in the same game.
Patten’s best season came in 2002 when he caught 61 passes for 824 yards and five touchdowns.
His former NFL teammates and members of the Patriots front office posted their condolences and memories of him on social media. New England owner Bob Kraft and coach Bill Belichick each released statements through the team Friday afternoon.
“It breaks my heart to hear of David’s tragic passing at such a young age,” Belichick said. “I am grateful to have coached David. He is an essential person and player in Patriots history, without whom we would not have been Super Bowl champions. I especially appreciate David for his professional journey.
“As much as anyone, David epitomized the unheralded, self-made player who defied enormous odds to not only earn a job in the NFL but to become a key player on multiple championship teams. I can speak for anyone who had the pleasure to be around David that his work ethic, positive energy and character were elite. My deepest condolences are with his family and loved ones.”
Patten is survived by his wife, Galiena, and four children — David, Daquan, Quinton and Mia. David is a redshirt senior receiver at his dad’s alma mater, Western Carolina, and Quinton is a sophomore receiver at UNC Charlotte.
After football, Patten returned to Western Carolina and finished his degree and spent time on WCU’s football staff. He later returned to Columbia and was pastor of Annointed Word of Life Ministries and was a motivational speaker.
Sam Gordon remembers meeting Patten three years ago while working as a reporter. The two spent 45 minutes talking about Patten’s career and his faith in God. They stayed in touch after that, and Patten was Gordon’s first client when he started up his own sports agency.
Gordon was with Patten last weekend when the former Patriot took part in an autograph signing at the Shriners Auditorium in Wilmington, Massachusetts along with other Boston area sports figures, including Paul Pierce.
Gordon said Patten stayed past his allotted hour of time, signing autographs for those who arrived late.
“He signed every person’s autograph that came in late and gave them the same time a day,” Gordon said. “He loved his fans, his family and everyone.
“He always told me to be a person of integrity. That is the advice he always gave me. And that is who David was, a man of integrity, always.”
