Bill Belichick Noncommittal On Troy Brown's Status As Patriots Assistant Coach: 'Not Sure At This Point'
BOSTON (CBS) -- All summer long, former Patriots receiver Troy Brown has been grinding on the practice fields and on the preseason sidelines. Despite all of that work with the receivers, though, Brown has no formal job title with the Patriots, and he's not listed on the team's website or in the media guide as a member of the coaching staff.
Naturally, with the regular season set to begin this week, it was fair to wonder if Brown would continue working in his role, or whether that was merely a summer job. Head coach Bill Belichick was asked that question on Tuesday morning, and he didn't offer an answer either way.
"I'm sure going forward he'll help us in any way he can," Belichick said in a conference call with reporters. "We'll see exactly what that amounts to. Not sure at this point."
That answer came after Belichick spoke at length about Brown's selflessness and value to the Patriots.
"Troy brings a lot of experience to this team, based on his time here as a player, and the experience that he had becoming one of the great Patriot players of all time. But it didn't start that way -- it was a process for him," Belichick said. "And then sustaining it and moving on and adjusting to the life after football. So he has a lot of great messages, he has a lot of great experience, he's always been a smart, hard-working guy that puts the team first and will do whatever he can to help."
Brown, 48, spent his entire 15-year career with the Patriots, beginning in 1993. He caught 557 passes for 6,366 yards and 31 touchdowns, returned 252 punts for 2,625 yards and three touchdowns, and also made 25 tackles and three interceptions on defense. He also contributed to the first three Super Bowl victories in franchise history, and he was inducted into the Patriots' Hall of Fame in 2012.