Former NFL receiver Terry Glenn, who caught Tom Brady's first touchdown pass with the New England Patriots in 2001, died Monday following a one-vehicle rollover traffic accident near Dallas that left his fiancée slightly hurt, officials said.
Police said Glenn was driving eastbound on Texas 114 when his vehicle struck a concrete barrier near Walnut Hill Lane around 12:18 a.m. The car flipped, ejecting Glenn from the vehicle.
He was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital where he died at about 12:52 a.m., according to the Dallas County medical examiner's office.
He was 43 years old.
Glenn's fiancée was taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Her name and further details on the crash were not released.
Terry Glenn Through the Years
Glenn won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top college receiver in 1995, piling up 1,411 yards and 17 touchdowns in his only year as a starter for Ohio State to set the stage for a pro career. Glenn played 12 seasons in the NFL, from 1996 to 2007, including six with the Patriots, five with the Dallas Cowboys and another year in Green Bay. He finished his career with 8,823 yards receiving and 44 touchdowns.
U.S. & World
The Patriots drafted Glenn seventh overall in 1996 when Bill Parcells was coach, and Glenn set an NFL rookie record with 90 catches for a team that reached the Super Bowl, losing to the Packers.
He caught quarterback Tom Brady's first-ever touchdown pass back in 2001, a 21-yard pass against the then San Diego Chargers.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement that he was "shocked" by Glenn's sudden death.
"Terry was one of the most gift receivers we have ever had," Kraft said. "For so many Patriots fans, his rookie season will be remembered as one of the most impactful in franchise history."
"I was pretty close with Terry,'' said Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who was in his first year as an assistant with the team when Glenn was a rookie. "I think he was, deep down inside a good person with good intentions and a good heart."
Glenn's former Patriots teammate Troy Brown reacted to Glenn's death Monday morning.
"Terry was a great teammate. He's been through a lot in his life, battled and scarred," said Brown, who provides Patriots commentary for NBCBoston.com. "He carried a lot of pain around with him for a very long time, but deep in Terry's heart he was a good person."
"I had the opportunity to see him again down in Houston at the Patriots pep rally and he surprised me again, just as much as he had changed his life and turned his life around and was doing so good for himself. Started a charity to help out kids who grew up just like he did, to help out foster kids. Guy had a great heart."
The Patriots and many of Glenn's former teammates took to Twitter on Monday to share their thoughts. Former Patriots quarterback Scott Zolak said Glenn was the most gifted receiver he's ever played with. Former Patriots safety Lawyer Milloy said he's "speechless." He said Glenn kept to himself "but was a good Dude with a big smile that lit up the room when it came out."
