Matthew Slater facts for kids
Slater with the New England Patriots in 2011
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| New England Patriots | |||||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Special assistant to the head coach | ||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Born: | September 9, 1985 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 205 lb (93 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| High school: | Servite (Anaheim, California) |
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| College: | UCLA (2004–2007) | ||||||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2008 / Round: 5 / Pick: 153 | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||||||
Matthew Wilson Slater (born September 9, 1985) is an American football coach and former wide receiver. He is currently a special assistant to the head coach for the New England Patriots in the National Football League (NFL). Before coaching, he played for the Patriots for 16 seasons.
Slater was mostly a special teams player during his career. He is known as one of the best "gunners" of all time. A gunner is a player who runs down the field very fast to tackle the kick returner.
He played college football for the UCLA Bruins. There, he earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors. The Patriots picked him in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL draft. Matthew Slater holds the NFL record for special teams Pro Bowl selections with 10. He also earned five first-team All-Pro honors and won three Super Bowl championships. After he stopped playing, Slater joined the Patriots again as a coaching advisor.
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Early Life and High School Sports
Matthew Slater was born in Long Beach, California. His father, Jackie Slater, is a famous football player who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Matthew also has a brother named David.
Slater played football for two seasons at Servite High School in Anaheim, California. He was a very good player and was chosen for All-West teams. As a junior, he caught 23 passes for 333 yards and two touchdowns. In his senior year, he had 39 catches for 707 yards and five touchdowns.
Besides football, Slater was also a great track athlete in high school. He was very fast, tying for second in the 100 meters race at the California State meet. He also placed fourth in the 200 meters. His 4 × 100 metres relay team won the state championship. In 2003, he was named the Orange County Register Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year. He still holds school records for the 100 and 200 meters.
College Football Career
Slater went to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He studied political science and history while playing for the Bruins football team. In his first year, he "redshirted," which means he practiced with the team but didn't play in games. This allowed him to gain an extra year of eligibility later. He missed that year due to a foot injury.
As a freshman in 2004, Slater played in a few games. In 2005, as a sophomore, he was a reserve wide receiver. He missed the first three games because of a leg injury and did not catch any passes.
In 2006, as a junior, Slater played in 13 games. He was especially good at covering kicks. He made nine tackles that year.
As a senior in 2007, Slater played in 13 games and made 25 tackles. He also returned 34 kicks for an average of 29 yards per return. He scored three touchdowns from kick returns, which tied a national record and set a new UCLA record. His 29-yard average was best in his conference. He was chosen as a first-team All-Pac-10 selection for his kick returning skills. He also set a new UCLA record for kickoff return yards in a single season with 986 yards.
Professional Football Career
Matthew Slater was chosen by the New England Patriots in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL draft. His father, Jackie Slater, was very happy about this. He felt it was a perfect fit for Matthew to start his pro football career. Matthew was one of only a few players in NFL history whose father was also in the Hall of Fame.
Early Years (2008–2010)
In his first year (2008), Slater played in 14 games. He returned 11 kickoffs and made 12 tackles on special teams. In 2009, he continued to play on special teams and returned kicks. He also had one rush for six yards as a wide receiver. In 2010, Slater focused entirely on special teams. He led the team with 21 special teams tackles in 15 games.
Becoming a Special Teams Star (2011–2015)
In 2011, his teammates voted Slater as the special teams captain. He became a key player, leading the Patriots with 17 special teams tackles. He also had his only career reception, a 46-yard catch from Tom Brady. Slater was chosen for the 2012 Pro Bowl and was named All-Pro as a special teamer. The Patriots reached Super Bowl XLVI, but lost to the New York Giants.
After the 2011 season, Slater signed a new contract to stay with the Patriots. He continued to be a special teams captain and was chosen for the Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams again in 2012 and 2013.
In 2014, Slater signed another contract extension. He was again voted All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl. He earned his first Super Bowl ring when the Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. In 2015, he earned his fifth Pro Bowl selection for special teams.
Super Bowl Wins and Records (2016–2019)
Slater signed another contract in 2016. He continued to be a top special teams player, earning his sixth Pro Bowl nomination. He was also named First-team All-Pro for the fourth time. In 2017, Slater won the Bart Starr Award. This award is given to a player who shows great character and leadership. His father had won the same award in 1996, making them the first father-son pair to receive this honor. Slater helped the Patriots win Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons. He even called the coin toss correctly before overtime!
In 2017, Slater missed some games due to a hamstring injury. Despite this, he was named to his seventh straight Pro Bowl, tying a record for special teams players. The Patriots reached Super Bowl LII but lost to the Philadelphia Eagles.
In 2018, Slater re-signed with the Patriots. He won his third Super Bowl when the Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII.
In 2019, Slater scored his first and only NFL touchdown. It happened when he returned an 11-yard blocked punt. He also had his first career blocked punt, which led to a touchdown for his team. Slater was named to his eighth Pro Bowl, breaking the record for most special teams Pro Bowl honors in NFL history.
Later Career and Retirement (2020–2023)
Slater signed another contract in 2020. After quarterback Tom Brady left the team, Slater became the longest-serving active member of the Patriots. He was named to his ninth Pro Bowl, extending his own NFL record.
In 2021, Slater continued to be a key special teams player. He made his tenth Pro Bowl and was a Second-team All-Pro. He signed one-year contract extensions in 2022 and 2023.
Bill Belichick, the former head coach of the Patriots, called Slater the greatest special teams player ever. On February 20, 2024, Matthew Slater announced he was retiring from playing football.
Coaching Career
In 2024, Matthew Slater was hired by the new New England Patriots head coach, Jerod Mayo. Slater and Mayo were teammates for many years. Slater's experience as a special teams captain and excellent player will help Mayo with team building and player development. Mayo said that Slater would work as one of his advisors.
Personal Life and Community Work
In 2020, Matthew Slater and his wife started the Slater Family Foundation. Slater is a Christian.
In 2013, Slater received the New England Patriots' Ron Burton Community Service Award. This award recognized his strong dedication to helping the community and his leadership. He often takes part in the team's community events.
Slater also worked with the United Way. He helped recruit many volunteers for the Patriots Celebrate Volunteerism campaign. In 2016, he hosted a fundraiser that raised over $60,000 to help victims of Hurricane Matthew. He supports Samaritan's Purse and Compassion International, which are charities that help people in need around the world.
See also
- National Football League team captains
- Gunner (American football)
- 2007 College Football All-America Team
- List of second generation National Football League players
