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Patriot Pride: My Life in the New England Dynasty
An autobiography of one of the greatest players in New England Patriots history
Spotlighting a New England sports icon, this autobiography chronicles the extraordinary life and career of Troy Brown, the talented athlete who played 15 seasons with the New England Patriots. Brown demonstrates how his grit, hustle, and hard work endeared him to a generation of football fans. Brown's past is explored, relating how he made it through college and into the pros despite being given up on several times. His years with the Patriots are documented in detail, covering what it was like to play for Coach Belichick, why Tom Brady has been so successful, and the secrets behind his three Super Bowl wins. Traveling from his younger years in South Carolina through his college career in West Virginia and to the pinnacle of the NFL, this inspirational, rags-to-riches sports memoir will entertain, inform, and inspire football fans of all stripes, especially the hundreds of thousands of fans who support the Patriots—one of the most successful franchises in the league.
Spotlighting a New England sports icon, this autobiography chronicles the extraordinary life and career of Troy Brown, the talented athlete who played 15 seasons with the New England Patriots. Brown demonstrates how his grit, hustle, and hard work endeared him to a generation of football fans. Brown's past is explored, relating how he made it through college and into the pros despite being given up on several times. His years with the Patriots are documented in detail, covering what it was like to play for Coach Belichick, why Tom Brady has been so successful, and the secrets behind his three Super Bowl wins. Traveling from his younger years in South Carolina through his college career in West Virginia and to the pinnacle of the NFL, this inspirational, rags-to-riches sports memoir will entertain, inform, and inspire football fans of all stripes, especially the hundreds of thousands of fans who support the Patriots—one of the most successful franchises in the league.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published October 15, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 16, 2016
As another poster wrote, hovering more near 2.5 stars. This book skipped out on a number of subjects worthy of more attention, whether good or bad. I think more of an emphasis on the NFL life would have lengthened and provided a more personal feel.
This almost reeled like a "churn it out" book to promote "The Patriot Way" and show that Troy Brown may not have been the flashiest, but one of the harder working players. Unfortunately, as much as I admired his career and he remains one of my favorite Patriots to suit up, the story lacked the grip of an enticing plot as well as the in-depth coverage of a biography.
This almost reeled like a "churn it out" book to promote "The Patriot Way" and show that Troy Brown may not have been the flashiest, but one of the harder working players. Unfortunately, as much as I admired his career and he remains one of my favorite Patriots to suit up, the story lacked the grip of an enticing plot as well as the in-depth coverage of a biography.
October 8, 2015
One of my favorite Patriots of all time! And with Mike Reiss! Great read.
April 10, 2020
Even if you are not a Patriot fan, it's hard to dislike Troy Brown. Against all odds, he did just about everything possible for a football team (offense, defense, and special teams). He was quiet, unselfish, loyal. and most importantly to a football fan, fun to watch play. Some of his big plays still live on in my mind, my favorite being the punt return for a TD against the Steelers in the 2001 AFC Championship game. Many of these very moments are discussed in the book.
The book discusses the 15 seasons (all with the Patriots) Troy was in the NFL, some more than others. It totally glosses over his upbringing, which was disappointing, especially since it kicks off by saying he grew up in a house with his grandma, her kids, and all those kids' kids! That seems crazy and would love to hear more about how that came to be. Where was his dad? We never find out, though there is a picture of him in the book (that's it). We don't hear about when he got married (or even how he met his wife), what he studied at Marshall, etc. It's all football; all the time. And even though it's all football, it feels more like the Cliff Notes version of a season. We don't get to hear any tales of locker room hi jinks, fun with teammates, etc.
There are PLENTY of quotes about Troy from coaches, friends, family, etc. That seems a bit odd in an autobiography. The last 3 chapters are dedicated to his retirement speech, his Patriot Hall of Fame speech, and an interview, which is actually very interesting. And it's this interview I would like to have seen expounded across the pages of this book, but that's just not the case. It's a fine book if you want a recap of Troy Brown' career, but that's really all you're going to get.
The book discusses the 15 seasons (all with the Patriots) Troy was in the NFL, some more than others. It totally glosses over his upbringing, which was disappointing, especially since it kicks off by saying he grew up in a house with his grandma, her kids, and all those kids' kids! That seems crazy and would love to hear more about how that came to be. Where was his dad? We never find out, though there is a picture of him in the book (that's it). We don't hear about when he got married (or even how he met his wife), what he studied at Marshall, etc. It's all football; all the time. And even though it's all football, it feels more like the Cliff Notes version of a season. We don't get to hear any tales of locker room hi jinks, fun with teammates, etc.
There are PLENTY of quotes about Troy from coaches, friends, family, etc. That seems a bit odd in an autobiography. The last 3 chapters are dedicated to his retirement speech, his Patriot Hall of Fame speech, and an interview, which is actually very interesting. And it's this interview I would like to have seen expounded across the pages of this book, but that's just not the case. It's a fine book if you want a recap of Troy Brown' career, but that's really all you're going to get.
January 24, 2018
Patriot Pride is a biography of Troy Brown's life and how it has revolved around football. The book is laid out in a chronological fashion, beginning with Troy's humble beginnings in South Carolina and ending with his life after football and being inducted into the Patriot's Hall of Fame. Troy's family was large and poor, and he had to work hard in the summer since a young age to provide for his family. His mother taught him the importance of hard work and determination, and he used these values to become a successful football player. Troy was always a team first player, and he would do anything the coaches asked of him. That's why Bill Bellichek loved him so much, and trusted that Troy would get the job done on defense, even though he was a wide receiver. Troy won three Super Bowls throughout his NFL career, reaching five of them. He made countless selfless sacrifices and clutch plays for the Patriots, and he played for them his entire career. I enjoyed reading this book, as I learned a lot about a player I've heard of. Troy's underdog story and humble beginnings are truly inspiring, and the way he attacked the game of football was admirable. Mike Reiss's writing is solid, but he doesn't really excite the reader. I would recommend this book to any sports fan or anybody who appreciates the value of hard work and loyalty.
April 5, 2023
This is a straightforward, no nonsense auto/biography from one of the key contributors of the early Patriots dynasty. It’s oddly written in the third person, where Troy Brown apparently relayed everything to writer Mike Reiss. It’s not an issue, but it’s definitely different for a book of this type.
This is the story of an underdog who kept his head down and quietly worked at his craft. He was never showy or a flashy diva type player, and this book reflects that. He speaks of how he had to grind out every bit of success he achieved in the league, and he was a big part of three championship teams. Some may think of this book as too simplistic, but I think it just speaks to what a humble man he is. It’s nice to read a perspective of the Patriots glory days and of someone who appreciated his part in it. True Patriots fans should enjoy this one.
This is the story of an underdog who kept his head down and quietly worked at his craft. He was never showy or a flashy diva type player, and this book reflects that. He speaks of how he had to grind out every bit of success he achieved in the league, and he was a big part of three championship teams. Some may think of this book as too simplistic, but I think it just speaks to what a humble man he is. It’s nice to read a perspective of the Patriots glory days and of someone who appreciated his part in it. True Patriots fans should enjoy this one.
January 19, 2018
Troy Brown represents what the Patriots are all about ~ being selfless. Always enjoyed watching Troy play but it was really great to get his perspective on all the great games he played in and was a part of. No matter your team allegiance, this is a good read for the consummate football fan.
September 30, 2016
Very well written story about Patriots Hall of Famer. His back story is amazing. Great to see hard work pay off.
January 14, 2016
This is really more 2.5 stars, leaning towards 3. It's a very quick, breezy read (I finished the bulk of it in a three day stretch) and it was actually very well-written, especially compared to other books I've read recently by Boston sports reporters that were boring and poorly edited. Troy does have a great underdog story and I found his life story interesting.
Unfortunately, once he hits the NFL the book becomes incredibly safe, bland, and vanilla - I wasn't expecting a tell-all rife with gossip, but there was really nothing close to an inside look at the team. Anything remotely controversial was totally glossed over and/or ignored (his handling of the Ty Law/Canada situation was so embarrassingly vague that it should have been removed entirely). The few things they did mention were things that all Patriots fans already know about (Terry Glenn was an attitude problem? Pete Carroll didn't have control of the locker room? Shocking!). I think Reiss was concerned with his full-time gig and didn't want to put anything in the book that might cause Bill not to answer his questions on Sunday afternoons.
Also, the last 3 chapters are literally transcripts of speeches and verbatim Q&A with Troy. Those were really more appendices than written chapters and totally killed the flow of the book at the end. Amazon had briefly dropped the Kindle price to $3.99, so I don't regret purchasing it, but it probably isn't worth the standard $10 price tag.
Unfortunately, once he hits the NFL the book becomes incredibly safe, bland, and vanilla - I wasn't expecting a tell-all rife with gossip, but there was really nothing close to an inside look at the team. Anything remotely controversial was totally glossed over and/or ignored (his handling of the Ty Law/Canada situation was so embarrassingly vague that it should have been removed entirely). The few things they did mention were things that all Patriots fans already know about (Terry Glenn was an attitude problem? Pete Carroll didn't have control of the locker room? Shocking!). I think Reiss was concerned with his full-time gig and didn't want to put anything in the book that might cause Bill not to answer his questions on Sunday afternoons.
Also, the last 3 chapters are literally transcripts of speeches and verbatim Q&A with Troy. Those were really more appendices than written chapters and totally killed the flow of the book at the end. Amazon had briefly dropped the Kindle price to $3.99, so I don't regret purchasing it, but it probably isn't worth the standard $10 price tag.
March 5, 2016
Good quick book about Troy's football life. The majority of the book is written in the 3rd person and sticks mostly to the facts about how Troy's path to and playing experiences in the NFL. The last couple of sections were probably my favorite as those turned to 1st person accounts of Troy's experiences, thoughts on the game and speeches made at his retirement as well as Patriots HOF induction. I would have enjoyed reading a little more personal anecdotes but overall the book was well written and enjoyable.
December 9, 2015
Underdog story and an easy read (like most typical sports biographies). I always loved the 5'8" little guy, but all heart, Troy Brown. Small town guy, hard worker who faced several obstacles just to get on a college team. I definitely would recommend this book for any fan of the Patriots, and anyone who digs a good underdog story.
January 29, 2016
Brown's story is inspirational, but the book reads like it was written for 5th graders. He would have benefitted from a different storyteller.
May 5, 2016
Well written and interesting for Patriots fans as well as general football fans
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews