Marshall University Athletics
Marshall Athletics Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2002
- Class:
- 1992
Often called “too small” or “too slow” by critics, Troy Brown proved them wrong time and time again, not only at Marshall but then for a 15-year NFL career with the New England Patriots, during which he helped the team win three Super Bowls. The Barnwell, S.C., native played two seasons at Marshall out of Lees-McRae Junior College and received All-American honors both years he played for the Thundering Herd, as a punt returner in 1991 and then as a wide receiver as he helped Marshall to the 1992 NCAA Division I-AA national championship. Brown averaged 149.3 all-purpose yards per game in his Marshall career, and his 2,641 combined yards in 1992 remains the school’s single-season record. Brown’s versatility was second to none – he caught 24 touchdown passes for the Thundering Herd, scored three more on kickoff returns and another two on punt returns. The 1992 title game also ended with the ball in Brown’s hands – he had been inserted as an extra defensive back and intercepted a last-second desperation pass by Youngstown State.
Brown was then chosen in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft by New England, where his career was capped by a 101-catch season and Pro Bowl selection in 2001 and Super Bowl titles in 2001, 2003 and 2004. Brown was named a Marshall University Alumnus of Distinction in 2006, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010 and the New England Patriots Hall of Fame in 2012. He was inducted into the Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002.
