WHEN DID PATTEN RETIRE?
In July 2010, at the age of 37, Patten announced his retirement from professional football during summer training camp with the Patriots.
Dealing with injuries during his final years in the league, he decided he could no longer keep up with the demands of the sport.
“This is in no way, shape, or form what I anticipated coming back here this year,” he said in 2010.
“I’m actually a little saddened that I’m proving some of the naysayers right this morning. Some felt I signed back with the team to retire, but that was not part of my thought process. I honestly felt like I could still play this game and play at a high level.
“I felt the competitive spirit and nature was still there, but over the course of the last two days and over the course of the break [before training camp] away from the team, there was a lot of reflection. There was a lot of contemplation,” Patten added.
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