One of the most decorated special teams players in NFL history is calling it a career. Ten time Pro Bowler Matthew Slater of the New England Patriots announced on Tuesday that he would be retiring following a 16 season NFL career.
Originally a 5th round pick out of UCLA in 2008, Slater spent the entirety of his career in Foxborough where he accumulated 191 tackles, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Listed as a receiver, Slater managed to register 1 catch throughout his time in the NFL, excelling instead at pinning opposing offences deep in their own end on social teams.
“For the last 25 years of my life, 16 of them as a New England Patriot, I have been incredibly blessed to be able to emulate the man I saw on those fields in Meridian by playing the game that I love so much,” he said in a statement released on the Patriots website. “I have given all that I possibly can to respect and honor the game. Though it is time for my relationship with the game to evolve, the love I have for it will last a lifetime.”
“As a player, God used the game of football to instruct, discipline, encourage, and develop me as a person. In 2008, I came here as a young man with hopes and dreams. In 2024, I can retire knowing this experience has exceeded any hope or dream I ever had.”
Not only was Slater selected to 10 Pro Bowls during his time in the league, but he was also named an All-Pro on 5 occasions as well. A 3x Super Bowl champion, the 38 year old was well respected by players around the league, and was a prominent leader in the locker room for the Patriots for nearly two decades.
“Matthew Slater wasn’t just a special teams player for the Patriots,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a preparedĀ statement. “He was a special team player who helped us win three Super Bowls and made a positive impact on the many lives he touched, both on and off the field. On the field, his 10 Pro Bowl appearances will likely earn him a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day alongside his father. Off the field, he will be remembered for so much more. He is a role model, not just for young players, but for everyone. He is a man of integrity and high moral character who is led by his faith and committed to his family. There is no finer person than Matthew Slater.”
While it’s rare for special team players of any kind to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Slater has as good a case as any to one day be enshrined in Canton for his on field exploits.
Photo: Jeffrey Beall. This file is licensed under theĀ Creative CommonsĀ Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 UnportedĀ license.