Patrick Chung celebrating Super Bowl 53 (Photo courtesy of The Sun Chronicle).
Zhōng Jiātíng Chung might not ring a bell when you’re thinking of NFL players. That is what has been described as Patrick Chung’s Chinese name. We’ll stick with Patrick from here, but we wanted to celebrate all of these players’ names. Chung is likely best known for his NFL career with the New England Patriots. Reggae enthusiasts might know him as the son of their favorite singer. American Rugby fans may know him as a owner of a professional team. And if you don’t know Patrick Chung, you should, so let’s talk about this Asian American icon!
Chung As A Child
Patrick Chung is of both Chinese and Jamaican descent. Highlighting his Asian heritage in no way is an attempt to erase his Jamaican identity. Both parts of his identity are important, and we acknowledge and celebrate both sides. Chung’s unique background allows him to be a role model for multiple groups, and hopefully this article can do a good job highlighting all the different groups he represents.
Little Patrick was born in Kingston, Jamaica, to his mother, Sophia George, and his father, Ronald Chung. Ronald was initially Sophia’s music manager. She was best known for her 1985 hit “Girlie Girlie.” This chart-topper is still a super catchy tune. In addition to being an artist, Sophia also worked as an educator of hearing-impaired children. Soon, wedding bells rang, and the couple moved to Miami and then Los Angeles. Patrick remained in Jamaica until he moved to Los Angeles at age 10. He grew up with his seven siblings.
Chung had a bit of a tough go when he first arrived in America. He described it this way: “It was kind of hard. You don’t have many friends, you speak patois. You speak a different language, which is English but it’s broken down slang. That was kind of hard. Other than that, it wasn’t too bad of a transition. I used to get made fun of for my clothes and stuff like that, but that’s just kids. The longer I was here, the easier it became.” Patois is also described as Jamaican Creole.
High School at 12
Chung became a high schooler at just 12 years old due to children starting school a year early in Jamaica. Football wasn’t a staple in the Chung family—he was a swimmer and soccer player. However, when Patrick Chung is committed to something, he is going to pursue it.
The coaches said that even at 12 he had an athletic prowess that was beyond his years. Transitioning to varsity football so young did mean that Chung was lacking in experience and terminology, so he was mentored by other students that also became NFL players in the future. Patrick was always perceived as someone who was willing to learn and picked positive peers to emulate. He was awarded a scholarship to the University of Oregon based on his school performances.
Chung In College
Patrick Chung’s career looks effortless based on just his accomplishments. He started the most games, 51, as a defenseman in Oregon history. The safety and wide receiver has many accolades in college. He was First-Team Freshman All-American, Second-Team All-American, two-time First-Team All-Pac-10, and was awarded the Gordon E. Wilson Award. On a more detailed look, though, it was harder than we ever could have guessed.
He was redshirted as a 17-year-old, which was probably smart liability-wise. As an 18-year-old, he completely tore his shoulder labrum his first year on the gridiron. His coach, John Neal, described Chung’s toughness in this quote: “His freshman year, he had a torn labrum. I mean, gone, torn. He would cry it hurt so bad. I’d look at him, he’s my player, he’s crying and I’m crying basically. He goes, ‘Coach, I’m OK, don’t take me out.”
Neal didn’t take Chung out of the game, and he played the rest of the season with the injury. The other thing that stood out to Neal was Chung playing both offense and defense in games. Something that hasn’t been common since roughly the 1920s. It seemed like Chung had a bit of a drop-off his sophomore year when he was almost replaced. We call that taking time to heal, but the Ducks saw it differently. Patrick Chung pulled it together after that, having a strong junior year. Chung opted to leave Oregon a year early for the NFL, changed his mind, and played his final year with the Ducks in 2008.
Patrick Chung Heads To NFL
Combines are one of the scariest events for NFL prospects. The only thing that could make pro days any worse would be getting injured in the middle. That was Patrick Chung’s experience. He wasn’t able to complete all of the drills due to a knee injury. Despite the setback, Chung was still drafted as a safety by the New England Patriots in the second round, 34th overall.
Chung was in the NFL from 2009 to 2019. He spent all but 2013 with the Patriots. He was in New England during the Patriots’ golden era, which has showcased his talent well in the NFL. In his 12 seasons he accrued three Super Bowl wins. What the safety couldn’t escape was frequent injuries and a few bad decisions that made his NFL career fall a smidgen flat. However, as of March of 2025, Chung was the only NFL player to appear in the playoffs for his first 11 seasons in the league. We see you, Patrick!
The Highlights
The NFL Combine was an omen in a way, but not at first. Chung was named second-string safety for the Patriots, which is commendable for a rookie. He did start throughout the season and even played in a post-game season his first year. 2010 wasn’t quite as positive. Chung was the starting safety, but his first injury in the NFL revealed what would become a pattern.
A knee injury sidelined the safety for two weeks. A bad call made in the AFC Championship by Chung contributed so significantly to the team’s loss, some would blame him entirely. It’s unclear why head coach and DC Bill Belichick would allow him to call such significant plays in his second year in the NFL, but we digress. In 2011, Chung was starting safety again, but a broken thumb and a foot injury would sideline him for eight total games. In just three seasons, Chung was in the Super Bowl—where the Patriots lost.
From what has been described as a second bout of ‘complacency,’ Chung didn’t quite perform the same in 2012. Once again, most of us would call that healing. Another shoulder injury had the safety out for four weeks. Plowing into people might have hit differently for the frequently injured Chung. His pain rarely seems to matter.
Fly To Philly
New England traded their starting safety to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013. Chung was named starting safety for the Eagles as well. By week 11, Patrick was replaced as starter due to missing four weeks because of injuries. A three-year contract turned into just one after the Eagles cut the young man. Frequent injuries, multiple cases of friendly fire hits, and problems performing his position’s responsibilities left Chung without a home in the NFL.
Come Back, Please!
Philly may not have appreciated Chung, but the New England Patriots certainly did. He was signed to the roster for a second time. From 2014 to 2017, the veteran rookie performed well. He was the starter in 2014. A win against the Seahawks in the Super Bowl in 2014 was what can definitely be viewed as a moral boost for Patrick. A hip injury held Chung up a bit in 2015, but the safety was holding up better than most seasons.
2016 was also a solid year. The season ended with the New England Patriots beating the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl. Patrick had many key plays that helped the team secure the win. You likely remember Super Bowl LI as the birth of the infamous 28-3 game that has haunted the Falcons ever since. In addition to the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history, it was also the first time the Super Bowl went into overtime.
Starting in 2017 was impressive. Chung had been in the league for nine years—no small feat for a safety. The season went well, and the team made it to the Super Bowl and lost that season. A concussion put Chung on the sideline—that’s probably why the Patriots didn’t win.
Some Tough Blows
2018 was another dream year for Chung. He was signed to a three-year contract extension and was a team captain this time. The season flew by for the safety until the Super Bowl against the Los Angeles Rams. The Patriots won, but Chung lost. He had broken his arm early in the third quarter.
Patrick Chung was down for a very long time. He had been peeling himself up off the grass quickly and playing through just about anything since his freshman year of college. Something that kept Chung on the turf for as long as he was was worrying to all. His arm had already been surgically repaired, and this break was especially serious. 23 stitches were required to patch up Chung’s arm following the Super Bowl. The safety never lost hope and predicted he would be back on the gridiron soon.
Chung did return to play back in 2019. In 2020, he signed a three-year contract extension, but it wasn’t meant to be. The safety opted out of playing in the 2020 season due to COVID-19 due to having a pregnant girlfriend, a son with asthma, and an elderly father in his social pod. Chung still practiced at Gillette in 2020, leaving people to believe he would return the following season. However, that would not happen. Chung would retire in May of 2021 at 33 years old.
Chung Talks Identity And Race
Forming an identity as a biracial person is an individual journey for each person. This quote from Chung personified his perspective on who he was: “I’m Jamaican and I’m Chinese. I’m not going to try to separate the two. That’s me.”
Chung was highlighted in a Patriots article in 2021 where he discussed anti-Asian hate that was on the rise during the pandemic with NBC Boston’s Susan Tran. Although Chung is biracial, not everyone may be readily able to identify that upon seeing him. However, the former NFL star’s concern lies with his father, who he says “looks like Mr. Miyagi and talks like Bob Marley.” Older Asian people had been a frequent target for random attacks, which had Patrick Chung on edge.
Patrick Chung also provided some insightful social commentary on racism in America in general, saying, “In a nutshell, it sucks. It’s very disheartening to see. We all need to grow up, you know. That’s just my opinion on it. I’ve never experienced something like this. In Jamaica, it wasn’t like that. I got to the States, I started hearing the N word, and I’m like what?” Racism had never been an issue for the former safety in Jamaica. See, we can do better in the United States! Thankfully, Ronald Chung remained unscathed during the pandemic.
Patrick Chung In Recent Years
Chung has never had a smooth ride in any stage of his life. After leaving the NFL, one of the best things ever happened in his life. He had a daughter in 2020, joining him and his son Taj, who was born in 2010. Allegedly, Chung was married to the mother of his son in 2012, but they likely are no longer together based on information from a 2021 court appearance. This was shortly after being charged with possession of cocaine in 2019. Charges that thankfully were dropped. Shortly after the joyous occasion, there were also his assault charges in 2021. It does appear, based on Patrick’s Twitter, that he has had another daughter in more recent years.
We never heard the outcome of the assault charges in the media, which was strange. We do know Patrick Chung was accused of pushing the woman to the ground outside of her home, allegedly in front of his son, then slapping her and breaking her cellphone. The woman stated she was always in imminent fear of Chung and was quoted saying, “Patrick’s behavior has been erratic for a very long time. His behavior was volatile, it was hostile. … It seemed premeditated.”
The fiancé of Chung at the time testified. She claimed that the woman had actually been the perpetrator, punching Patrick as he attempted to leave the home. We didn’t hear from Mr. Chung himself. Although we don’t know the outcome, we do know that Chung was on a $10,000 bail at the time of the testimony and the judge signed a one-year no-abuse and no-contact order on behalf of the woman. He’s not married and seemingly didn’t do jail time. Take from that what you will.
Outside Of Court
Chung has done some somethings outside of court in recent years. He has a focus on philanthropy, being a father, emphasizing things like the importance of “washing our damn hands” during the pandemic and after, and being nominated NFLPA Community MVP for his charity work through his own foundation.
Chung raised $75,000 in 2014 by holding an open-mic karaoke holiday party. Many Patriots sang along with their teammate. Sophia George even made a guest appearance that dazzled the attendees. Money was divided between Chung Changing Lives Inc., a local toy drive, and Boston’s Children’s Hospital. In addition to raising money that year, Chung also visited children at the hospital with teammate Michael Hoomanawanui, where they brought the karaoke to the children, singing all afternoon with the kids. The second open-mic event in 2015 was also popular among Chung and his teammates.
For work, Patrick Chung is a minority owner of the New England Free Jacks along with former teammate Nate Ebner. The Free Jacks are an expansion team of Major League Rugby as of 2018. They are the first professional rugby team in Boston and represent the greater New England area. Chung is a big rugby fan now and is excited to be on the other side of the ball now.
Final Thoughts
Patrick Chung is a talented safety and wide receiver who sort of fell into the game of football as a 12-year-old high schooler. He was born and raised in Jamaica to his reggae artist mother and music manager father until he came to America at 10. It may be safe to say that Chung is the only Chinese-Jamaican born in Jamaica ever. Despite a complicated career and life, we appreciate the representation that Patrick Chung offers to multiple groups of people. We could not pick a more multi-dimensional man to discuss in The Forkball’s first article in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
