Former New England Patriots wide receiver David Patten tragically passed away Thursday at the age of 47. Patten died due to a motorcycle accident.

A number of former Patriots have chimed in with condolences, and now owner Robert Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick have released statements on Patten's untimely death:

David Patten became an improbable Super Bowl hero for the Patriots during his NFL career. He went undrafted in 1996 and started his pro career in the Arena Football League. The wideout then signed on with the New York Giants in 1997 and played there for three seasons before spending one season with the Cleveland Browns.

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Patten then joined New England for the 2001 season. That season turned into a magical one for the Patriots, with Tom Brady taking over for Drew Bledsoe as the starter and winning his first Super Bowl thanks to a stunning upset over the heavily favored St. Louis Rams. Patten caught a touchdown pass from Brady in that victory. That season, Patten caught 51 passes for 749 yards and four touchdowns. In the playoff run, he had 13 catches for 154 yards and two scores.

The following season, Patten set career highs with 61 catches for 824 yards. He also caught five touchdown passes. The Patriots missed the playoffs that season, and then he got injured during the 2003 campaign and missed that run to another Super Bowl. He came back in a big way in the 2004 season, though, hauling in 44 passes for 800 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns. New England made it back-to-back Super Bowl wins.

David Patten left the Patriots after that Super Bowl victory and then spent two seasons each with Washington and the New Orleans Saints. He returned to the Browns in 2009 but was released before the season. He then signed back with New England in 2010, only to retire months later.