On tuesday, bill belichick tipped his cap to matthew slater once more, joining the chorus of those praised after the new england patriots icon announced his retirement. The former patriots head coach reaffirmed his previous comparison to slater’s status among these special teams players in the nfl. According to espn’s adam schefter, “matthew slater deserves every accolade anyone can receive.” “he is a once-in-a-lifetime player and the best core special teams player in nfl history,” he says. His unsurpassed success was paved the way for his daily, weekly, and yearly work ethic. Matthew is the best example of what an effective competitor and human being should be.
He has been a great role model for the teams i have coached players and coaches. Matthew is incredibly generous and beloved and respected by all of his fellow students. I am one of many who consider myself incredibly fortunate to be his teammate, mentor, and mentor,” belichick has said in the past that he has been fortunate to coach the best special teams player of all time, referring to slater, because he also believes he should be inducted into the hall of fame. The ex-patriots star has a compelling reason to be inducted into the hall of fame. His ten pro bowl nods are the most for a special teams player. He has been named an all-pro eight times in his career.
Slater’s most notable achievement was to win three super bowls while he was in new england. He served as a captain for each of those teams, cementing himself as a leader in the organization for years as he often led the team in postgame speeches. What robert kraft had to say about matthew slater’s retirement on tuesday, belichick wasn’t the only one to make a statement about slater’s retirement. The patriots owner praised the player who spent 16 years with his franchise, lauding his character among other things. “matthew slater wasn’t just a special teams player for the patriots,” kraft wrote. “he was a special team player who helped us win three super bowls and had a positive effect on the many lives he touched on both the field and off the field.”
On the field, his ten pro bowl appearances are likely to land him in the pro football hall of fame alongside his father one day.
