Last modified: Friday, September 26, 2008 2:50 AM EDT Long-time Patriot wide receiver Troy Brown spoke with the media on Thursday after announcing his retirement. Brown, an eighth-round draft pick who played 15 years for New England, is the franchise all-time leader in catches. He was also a key role-player, returning kicks and punts, as well as playing defense when needed. (Staff photo by TOM MAGUIRE) Brown retires from Patriots BY MARK FARINELLA SUN CHRONICLE STAFF FOXBORO - Troy Brown officially retired Thursday morning, closing out a career that brought him from obscurity as an eighth-round draft choice out of Marshall University to the top of the Patriots' all-time record lists in several categories. Brown, 37, appeared at the Gillette Stadium press workroom to make the announcement, following brief speeches by Patriots' owner Robert Kraft and coach Bill Belichick. The native of Barnwell, S.C., admitted that he had been tempted to sign on with the New York Jets for one final season and had visited Coach Eric Mangini and his staff, which is why he waited until a month into this season to finally decide that he was going to retire as a player. "I would give anything in the world to put on those pads again," Brown said at the press conference, "and I probably had the opportunity, but I didn't think I'd look right in green and white (colors shared by Marshall and the Jets) again." Kraft welcomed Brown by announcing that the Jets-Patriots game on Nov. 13 (nationally televised as a Thursday-night game on the NFL Network) would be "Troy Brown Night" at Gillette Stadium. Belichick called Brown "a consummate professional" who was able to excel at many things over his career, including returns and special teams, becoming a starting receiver and filling in as a defensive back near the end of his career. Belichick cited several examples of Brown's contributions, and was particularly glowing in his praise of Brown's play in a 2006 game at Green Bay. The Patriots were missing defensive backs Rodney Harrison, Asante Samuel and Eugene Wilson, and Brown had to play cornerback one-on-one against the Packers' Donald Driver. "He held Driver to one catch for 3 yards," Belichick said. "His other catch, Troy was not involved in the play. He was up against the best receiver in the NFC, and he stepped up." "I will always be a Patriot," Brown said in his remarks, "just not in uniform." He thanked Kraft for the transformation of the franchise from where it had been in his rookie year of 1993 to where it stands now, and he thanked Belichick "for believing in me." "It was hard to find that one coach who thought that I had what it takes to be a starting receiver in this league," Brown said. "He taught me the right way to play this game." Brown jokingly said he knew it was time to retire when camp time neared and "I couldn't stop going to Baskin-Robbins," instead of returning to his strict in-season diet. He also said he knew that years of football had taken a toll on him physically, and that he "couldn't keep up." "You can't outrun Father Time," he said. "No matter how much you try, you just can't." Brown ranks first among Patriots in career receptions (557), second and fourth (101 and 97) in single-season receptions, first in single-game receptions (16 vs. Kansas City, 2002), second in career yardage (6,366), third in single-season yardage (1,199), first in punt returns (270) and yardage (2,625) and is tied with Michael Haynes for third in career average yards (10.4). Not long after the retirement ceremony, it was announced that Brown would join the Comcast SportsNet program "Mohegan Sun Sports Tonight" as a regularly-appearing NFL analyst.