Patten's hard work pays off

by Campbell Blake
February 4, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)

Former CFL castoff David Patten has finally reached the top of the football world. In New Orleans, Patten's Patriots defied all odds, and won the 2001 Super Bowl by beating the much-favored Rams on a 48-yard Adam Vinatieri field goal with no time left on the clock.

Patten's journey to an NFL championship has not been what you would call conventional. While at the University of Western Carolina as a senior in 1995, he was named All-Southern Conference and ranked among the nation's top ten receivers with 59 catches (No. 8) for 881 yards (No. 9). With all his success at the NCAA level he thought it was guaranteed that he would be taken in the 1996 NFL draft. When he was passed over, he was down but did not want to give up on his dream. Instead he headed north for a shot in the Canadian Football League. When he failed to make it out of training camp, he went home wondering if he would ever get another shot at being a pro.

While working at a coffee bean factory, Patten never stopped believing and his football dream finally became a reality, in the Arena Football League. Albany Firebirds head coach Mike Hohensee, in need of a receiver to backup "Touchdown" Eddie Brown and veteran Freddie Gayles, decided to give Patten a shot. Being a rookie behind two veterans, he rarely saw the field, and had only two receptions for 37 yards during the regular season.

The playoffs proved to be Patten's time to shine and to finally show the world that he was the player he always thought he could be. In the Firebirds quarterfinal victory over Milwaukee he finished with four receptions for 111 yards and what would be his only Arena League touchdown. One win away from the Arena Bowl, Albany was faced with having to defeat the Kurt Warner-led Iowa Barnstormers. In that game, in which the Firebirds were defeated 62-55, Patten caught 3 passes for 44 yards. It would be his final AFL appearance.

In 1997, the New York Giants were in dire need of some help at receiver and on special teams so they called Patten's number. He excelled with his great speed during training camp, making him an easy choice for the decision-makers of the Giants to keep him around. Over his three seasons in a Giants uniform, Patten showed why they make the right decision by being a presence on special teams while serving as a very reliable back up at receiver.

The 2000 season saw Patten make the move to the Cleveland Browns. In what would be his first season as a starter, Patten would record 38 receptions for 546 yards and one touchdown. Even though he put up decent numbers, at the end of the season the Browns decided to go in another direction, and they parted ways with Patten.

The New England Patriots then signed him as a free agent, and the 2001 campaign became Patten's break through season when he caught 51 passes for 749 yards and six touchdowns. He made history in the Patriots regular season match up against the Indianapolis Colts by becoming the first player since Walter Payton in 1979 to score a touchdown via the run, pass, and catch in a game. He further showed his importance to the team in the Patriots' overtime victory over the Oakland Raiders during a traditional New England snow storm.

Following the Patriots upset win over Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship, they were faced with another up-hill battle in the St. Louis Rams. The Patriots did not disappoint by beating the Rams 20 -17 to win the Super Bowl, even though they were 14-point underdogs. On his only reception of the evening, he scored a touchdown on an eight-yard pass from quarterback Tom Brady just before halftime. He also gained 22 yards on a reverse.

With a Super Bowl in hand, Patten's hard work has finally paid off. Handling the Lombardi Trophy is something he never could have imagined after all the rejection he had to deal with following his graduation from Western Carolina. But through perseverance and hard work, he improved as a player to the point where he is now a starter with the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. In the end David Patten's story shows that good things happen to people who never give up on their dreams.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from February 4, 2002

• Dragons must revamp roster - OSC Original by Brian Belefski
• Patten's hard work pays off - OSC Original by Campbell Blake

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