Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Matthew Slater Retires from New England Patriots: His Legacy, Case for Pro Football Hall of Fame

Starting point is 00:00:00 After 16 seasons and three Super Bowl rings, New England Patriots longtime captain Matthew Slater has officially announced his retirement. Stick around, you're about to be locked into this Slater salute right here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you, Foxborough faithful, and thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Remember, Locked On Patriots is not only a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day,

Starting point is 00:00:56 but we are also free and available on all platforms. So download, subscribe to follow wherever you get your podcasts to ensure that you get the latest episode as soon as it's available. And don't forget to smash that subscribe button on YouTube. I'm your host, Mike Debate. I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country of Sports Illustrated. So reach out to me and let me know what's on your mind on X at MDABATENFL. And while you're out there showing some love to Locked On Patriots social media style,

Starting point is 00:01:26 please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at L-O underscore Patriots. And Pats fans, today's episode is brought to you by GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use the code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. And folks, it's been a very busy week so far here in New England, and it's only Tuesday. The Patriots introduced a whole new coaching staff, some beloved veterans being released, and oh yeah, we even have some belated Mock Draft Monday for you as well.

Starting point is 00:01:58 Folks, all of those topics are still to come here this week on Locked On Patriots, especially Mock Draft Monday, which our good friend Thomas Murphy and I toiled away on on Monday morning. Some connectivity issues throughout the day and evening yesterday prevented the upload, but don't worry. We have three amazing mock drafts to share with you, and they will be coming your way very soon on the horizon. So stay locked into Locked On Patriots for the very latest on that. But today, Tuesday, February 20th, 2024, we just couldn't let the day go by without singing the praises of one of the very best to wear Patriot blue.

Starting point is 00:02:34 And folks, the inevitability of the offseason unfortunately became a reality on Tuesday morning. Long-time special teams captain and beloved New England Patriot Matthew Slater officially announcing his retirement at the age of 38. Matthew played 16 seasons here in New England with the Patriots. He's definitely headed for the Patriots Hall of Fame. I think he's potentially headed for the Hall of Fame in Canton. We'll get some more on that in just a moment, but Matthew will forever be a legend here in New England, and I don't think I overspeak when I say that. He had the unique distinction of announcing his retirement via the team's social media account,

Starting point is 00:03:12 and he began by saying in 2008, which is when Matthew was drafted, 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've ever had. I think we can all speak for Patriots Nation when Matthew Slater has exceeded all of our hopes and expectations for the 16 years that he proudly wore a Patriots uniform here in Foxborough. And throughout the message, Matthew shows tremendous poise, tremendous gratitude toward his family, his teammates, team owner Robert Kraft, former coach Bill Belichick, the only coach

Starting point is 00:03:45 that Matthew ever played for at a professional level, but he did speak directly to Patriots Nation, and I wanted to share that message with you, and he says, quote, Pats Nation, it has been an honor to represent the silver, red, white, and blue for 16 years. Thank you for cheering, challenging, and supporting our team each and every year. To the people of New England, thank you for cheering, challenging, and supporting our team each and every year. To the people of New England, thank you for welcoming my family into your community and allowing us all to call New England home. We are beyond humbled and blessed. You, the fans, make an NFL player's experience what it is. Thank you for supporting not only me, but our great game.

Starting point is 00:04:22 And folks, if you want to read the message in its entirety, it is available on patriots.com. You can catch the social media tiles out on X or on Instagram. I highly recommend reading it in its entirety. Great insight, just truly remarkable. And Matthew Slater, once again, showing that he's not only one of the best players in Patriots history, but arguably the classiest man to ever wear a Patriots uniform. And on the field, it's been a great ride. Slater again drafted by the Patriots in 2008 out of UCLA. It's hard to believe that Matthew Slater in the beginning stages of his career was actually worried about getting cut.

Starting point is 00:04:54 So he decided he was going to take his skill set and make it the very best he could be. He directed his energy towards special teams, and he became the greatest special teams coverage man I've ever covered, arguably, in the history of the NFL. 10 Pro Bowls, 8 All-Pro teams and again helping the Patriots to three Super Bowl titles in the latter half of the Brady Belichick dynasty. He earned such high praise from all of his teammates but the praise I'll always remember is one that he earned from Bill Belichick just toward the end of Belichick's tenure here in New England when he said that he felt fortunate that he had the opportunity to coach the greatest players in NFL history at their specialties. Tom Brady on offense, Lawrence Taylor on defense, and Matthew Slater on special teams. That is one amazing triumvirate of talent and two out of those

Starting point is 00:05:41 three came under the purview of the New England Patriots, something to be very proud of, folks, when it comes to your favorite franchise in Foxborough. And again, I know all of you out there in Patriots Nation, you're going to miss Matthew. I certainly will. This was a player who was a pleasure to cover. He was always approachable. He was never sullen, never moody. Slate was one of the first Patriots I had the chance to interview one-on-one when I first started covering the team in 2018, and I can honestly tell you that you will not find a more humble a more genuine man anywhere I'm not talking about just in a pro sports locker room folks I'm talking anywhere in life and he deserves all the accolades that he's going to be getting in the days and the weeks ahead but one of the accolades that I believe he should not only be considered for, but should receive within a couple of years, is a gold jacket in Canton.

Starting point is 00:06:28 That's right. I do believe that Matthew Slater is a Pro Football Hall of Famer. Again, I can feel you nodding along with me. If you're a Patriots fan, you love this guy as much as I do. But not everyone shares that sentiment. In just a moment, I'm going to outline my thoughts as to why Matthew Slater should be a Pro Football Hall of Famer. And I'm also going to provide a personal tribute to Matthew when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues, a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team, every day. Locked On listeners, we've all been there.

Starting point is 00:07:02 You want tickets to the big game or your favorite musical artist, and you just can't find an easy and affordable way to get them? Well, you shouldn't have to worry when you're buying tickets to your next big event, because GameTime is the fast and easy way to buy tickets for all of the sports, music, comedy, and theater events near you. And here's the part I love most. GameTime's all-in prices show your total up front, so you know you're getting a great deal without all those hidden fees. GameTime is actually

Starting point is 00:07:30 obsessed with finding ways to help you save money on tickets, and that includes their zone deals, where you pick the section and GameTime picks the seats for an average of 18% savings. And the GameTime guarantee means you'll always get the best price. If you find the tickets in the same We'll be right back. $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply, so again, create an account and redeem the code LOCKEDON L-O-C-K-E-D-O-N for $20 off. Download GameTime today. Last minute tickets, lowest price, guaranteed.

Starting point is 00:08:19 Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on this special edition Slater Salute of Locked On Patriots, celebrating the 16-year career of Matthew Slater, fans thank you once again for joining us here today on this special edition slater salute of locked on patriots celebrating the 16-year career of matthew slater who announced his retirement from the nfl and the new england patriots on tuesday morning and as the proverbial sun sets on matthew slater's illustrious career folks the debate surrounding his worthiness of induction into pro football hall of Fame is just beginning. And it would be nice if they would just give the man an opportunity to rest on his laurels for a

Starting point is 00:08:49 couple of days before dissecting his career and determining whether or not he's worthy of induction into the Hall of Fame. But as Hyman Roth once said, this is the business we've chosen. And that's exactly what this business is doing right now. Breaking down Matthew's career and letting you know whether he's worthy of induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in a few years' time. Now, few within the confines of Patriots Nation, all of us out there, all of you everydayers, all of you casual listeners, anyone in the New England Patriots landscape, you'd all agree that Slater's place atop the NFL's elite special teamers for all of the years that he donned a Patriots uniform, all but solidify his spot in Canton. But there are still some who remain hesitant

Starting point is 00:09:30 to enshrine players whose resume is almost solely consisting of special teams contributions. Yeah, folks, hopefully the titles start turning on that. And I'm going to get into that in just a little bit. But within that context, I wanted to lend my thought process today on why I believe Matthew Slater is, in fact, a Pro Football Hall of Famer. And let's start with his impressive time on a football field. I don't think anyone can argue that Matthew Slater, as a Pro Football player, was a resounding success. Three-time Super Bowl champion, 13-time Patriots team captain, five first-team All-Pro selections. He won that honor in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, and then his last one coming in 2019. He also had three second-team All-Pro nods in 2017, 2020, and 2021. And he rounded out that resume with 10 Pro Bowl selections.

Starting point is 00:10:21 Yeah, the most by a special teamer in NFL history. So if you're looking at this and you're saying slater's resume sounds pretty hall worthy to me yeah folks you're not alone i think a lot of people would agree with that fact just the presence of those five first team all pro nods alone should make him a foregone conclusion because when you look at the list of 87 players that currently have five first team all pro nods only 12 of those eligible candidates have not been inducted into the hall of fame everyone else is either still active or they've been inducted so that speaks pretty well about

Starting point is 00:10:56 matthew right then and there but then you add the 10 pro bowl nods in and i know pro bowl selections don't necessarily hold the same weight that they always have, but it's still a prestigious distinction. And when you combine the two, it makes Matthew Slater's Hall of Fame credentials look pretty good. Now, his detractors are going to say, well, take a look at the statistics. They don't exactly leap off the page. And that argument isn't entirely inaccurate, if I'm being honest. 239 career regular season games for Matthew, 191 tackles, 637 total return yards, two rushing attempts for 11 yards on offense, one reception for 46 yards, one forced fumble, one blocked punt, and we all remember his sole touchdown coming against the Buffalo Bills, recovered the punt blocked by cornerback JC Jackson, scoops up the loose ball, runs 11 yards, untouched into the end zone, and he caps it with one of the all-time greatest touchdown celebrations. Check it out on YouTube, folks. Check it out on social media. You'll love it. And it only solidified the legend of Matthew Slater in this area. But when you look at that

Starting point is 00:11:59 stat sheet, you can understand the argument of saying, okay, well, nothing really stands out as Hall of Fame-type numbers. But once again, the numbers only tell a portion of the story. In my opinion, Matthew Slater's contributions to the game of football are much more based on the excellence of his execution than numerical dominance. For almost the entirety of Matthew Slater's gridiron tenure, and I'm talking regular season and playoffs here, folks, his field positioning, where he needed to be at a given moment when he was playing on New England's coverage units, it was pretty much flawless. And I've said many times here on the pod, that's not by happenstance. That's by design. Matthew Slater routinely placed himself in the

Starting point is 00:12:38 proper spot to either down a punt or prevent a big play return. And he was also one of the best I've ever seen at being able to direct traffic on special teams units. He didn't just know where he needed to be. He knew where everyone else needed to be. And he made sure that his teammates that were on the coverage units with him were in the proper spot. I don't hesitate when I say his leadership on the field

Starting point is 00:12:59 was the primary reason for New England special teams dominating the NFL for a number of years. Matthew Slater was the reason. And bottom line, opposing coaches have admitted several times, especially opposing special teams coordinators, that they needed to game plan for Matthew Slater's awareness and his prowess on special teams. Players like that, players that can change the complexity of the games that they're playing in, those are the guys that often get recognized for that type of mastery

Starting point is 00:13:25 in the form of Hall of Fame enshrinement. So again, it all seems to be adding up into Matthew's favor. But fortunately, folks, there is still a pretty tangible deterrent that may end up derailing his candidacy. I certainly hope that's not the case. However, that's going to be up to the Hall of Fame because they have been very reluctant to acknowledge special teamers all throughout their history.

Starting point is 00:13:46 And if you're looking for evidence on that, just point to the number of dedicated special teamers that are in the Hall right now. As we speak, as you're listening to this right now, there are only three pure specialists in Canton. Two kickers, Jan Stenerud, Morton Anderson, one punter, Ray Guy. Thankfully, Devin Hester of the Chicago Bears in his third year of eligibility ended up becoming the first return specialist to earn a spot in the Hall of Fame. And Devin is going to be inducted officially this summer at the Hall of Fame ceremony in Canton. But once again,

Starting point is 00:14:14 folks, we're not really looking at an extensive list of dedicated special teamers in the Hall of Fame. Now, in all fairness, there really has been a little bit of a groundswell toward allowing special teamers to at least get greater consideration when it comes to Hall of Fame candidacy. And I definitely want to give a tip of the cap to Dallas columnist Rick Gosselin, who really has outlined a great criteria for not only judging special teams units as a whole, but individual special teamers. A lot of teams are using these.

Starting point is 00:14:41 Word has it that the Pro Football Hall of Fame start to use these parameters as well when they're considering some of these candidates. So hopefully this movement will continue. And we're seeing it with some kickers. Adam Vinatieri is going to be eligible for the first time this year. And for all of us that are currently watching the Dynasty right now or remember those days,

Starting point is 00:14:59 live them. Adam is, and I say without hesitation, the greatest clutch kicker in NFL history. And I think he should get a gold jacket. I do believe he will, and you might see some subsequent kickers or even punters maybe get their look. That's gained some traction in recent years, but right now there's still yet to be a place carved out for dedicated coverage specialists, guys like Matthew Slater or even Steve Tasker,

Starting point is 00:15:22 who was a special team standout for the Buffalo Bills and Houston Oilers. My personal thoughts, I think Tasker deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame. He's been interviewed recently, and he seems to think his time has gone by, but he did say that with some of the new considerations the Hall might be making, he thinks Matthew Slater has a shot and believes he deserves that shot. And I know all of you out there in Patriots Nation agree. But if the Hall of Fame remains stubbornly steadfast in that reluctance to acknowledge deserving special teamers, I hate to say it, folks, but Matthew Slater's wait for a gold jacket may extend

Starting point is 00:15:54 indefinitely. But to anyone that might still be on the fence, and who knows, maybe I'm even speaking to someone out there that's on the selection committee that's wondering whether or not special teamers should get their just due when it comes to selection and enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I believe character, legacy, and leadership should definitely be under consideration, and in that case, Matthew Slater has no equal. He truly is the best of the best. We all have an unending amount of respect for Matthew Slater here in Patriots Nation, but all throughout the NFL, he's consistently listed as one of the most respected players both on and off the field. That places him in rarefied air. Not only is he a great teammate, he's also someone that people

Starting point is 00:16:33 enjoy playing against because of his sportsmanship and because of his commitment to fair play, but he's also one of the game's greatest humanitarians. Matthew Slater has been a recipient of the Bart Starr Award in 2017, the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award in 2021. He also won the Ron Burton Community Service Award. He was considered the standard to which his teammates and even his coaches held themselves accountable. And again, it was not a surprise that several of his former teammates took to social media to wish their congratulations. I'm sure these guys would also come out of the woodwork to be qualified references for Matthew Slater's Hall of Fame candidates. And yeah, I'm talking about guys like Tom Brady,

Starting point is 00:17:09 who posted earlier today on social media that Matthew Slater was one of the best teammates with whom he's ever shared a locker room and an even better man. When you talk about some of the former players that would go to bat for Matthew Slater in a Hall of Fame bid, I think it would read like a who's who of NFL stars. And bringing it back to a little godfather twist, if Matthew needs any help, who might be a better consigliere than Bill Belichick, who I think provided Matthew with one of the more glowing endorsements when it came to Hall of Fame candidacy with some of the comments that he made last December. And Belichick was quoted as saying, I think he's the best that's ever done what he's done.

Starting point is 00:17:43 He's in a very unique category, one that I don't think is represented in the Hall of Fame. But based on what he did during his career and the length of time he did it and at the level he's doing it at, I would say the guy's been as productive as anyone has ever been at his position throughout his entire career.

Starting point is 00:17:59 And that's very lengthy. Whether that's Hall of Fame worthy or not, that's a different subject that I don't have a say in. But i can't imagine putting anyone in there ahead of him at that position and folks i think that sums it all up that really is my final analysis as well slater's place among new england football immortals has long since been established i don't think anyone's going to argue that point he has a virtual lock to get a red jacket into the Patriots Hall of Fame. His case for Canton, again, there are some factors working against him there. That remains a bit more ambiguous, but knowing Matthew Slater the way I've gotten the chance to get to know him and covering him these last few years, and I'm sure the way all of you know him in Patriots Nation as well,

Starting point is 00:18:38 individual accolades are not what drives this man. I'm almost certain that he would be the first to tell you that teaching the nuances of the game to the next generation of players while earning the respect of his teammates, those are the best rewards to Matthew Slater. That's what truly counts. And because of that, Matthew Slater is a Hall of Famer in every sense of the word. And even though we've talked a little bit about Matthew Slater's impact on the field and even in the locker room as reasons why he should be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I didn't think it would be right unless we wrapped up today with some of my personal thoughts on Matthew Slater and what makes him so beloved in New England, what

Starting point is 00:19:15 makes him so revered in New England, and my personal favorite memory of Matthew that concerns my own family. I'll share that story with you and more in just a moment when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues, a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Locked On listeners, get buckets with your first bet on FanDuel, America's number one sports book, because right now, new customers get $150 in bonus bets with any winning $5 bet that's 150 bucks if your bet wins basketball season is in full swing and with FanDuel you can make cheering on your favorite green team in the hub more enjoyable more exciting and maybe even a

Starting point is 00:20:02 little more profitable bet on all of your favorite NBA players and teams with quick bets, live same-game parlays, exclusive props, and more. Just visit Fanduel.com slash LockedOn and shoot your shot. That's Fanduel.com slash LockedOn. Fanduel, official sportsbook partner of the NBA. Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on this Salute to Slater episode of Locked On Patriots. Don't forget, if you were expecting to find

Starting point is 00:20:36 Mock Draft Monday here, some difficulties in loading yesterday because of some connectivity problems. That show will be coming to you shortly here, so keep an eye on your feed, whether it be Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or especially out on YouTube. You're not going to want to miss what Murph and I have in store for you

Starting point is 00:20:52 with some of the great mock drafts submitted by all of you everydayers. But today is a day to reflect on the career of Matthew Slater, who officially retired from the NFL on Tuesday morning after 16 remarkable seasons. And folks, as I reflected on the career of Matthew Slater today, I found myself going through a lot of old notes, a lot of handwritten notes, a lot of typed ones, press conference tidbits that I had accumulated throughout the years of covering Matthew. And I found one from 2022, which really stood out to me for a lot of reasons.

Starting point is 00:21:23 And Matthew shared some insight on his father, Jackie, which I'm sure all of you know, or some of you may not. Jackie was a former all-pro offensive lineman for the Los Angeles Rams. He's also a pro football Hall of Famer. And one of the big reasons why Matthew chose to go into football, really wanted to follow in his dad's footsteps. And this quote reads as such, my dad told me that when I was young, if I was going to play the game, that there's a certain way to play it. There's a certain way to go about it. I tried to make him proud, represent his name the right way, because that's how he did it. That's what it'll always be about for me. And folks, I think we can all relate to that.

Starting point is 00:22:01 Every time we embark on an endeavor, we do it to try to make our parents proud or at least make those around us, those that love us, as proud as they can be. Matthew absolutely followed in his father's footsteps and then some. To say he became quite the professional himself is probably an understatement. He used his father's example and he quickly developed a love for the fundamentals and the nuances of the game. Matthew Slater always lights up when he talks about teaching the new generation, teaching the younger players,

Starting point is 00:22:28 watching them learn something he learned and being able to impart that wisdom. That's really what he loves. And I think he's going to miss most of all about this game. He got that from the way his father taught him the game. As a matter of fact, Matthew even joked one time that he developed a coin toss habit from his dad. You all know that every time Matthew stepped out to the center of that field, a few of those were on a Super Bowl

Starting point is 00:22:49 field, Matthew always calls heads. Well, that's because when his father was playing, that's what he did. He called heads. And that's what Matthew wanted to do to be more like him during his playing days. Again, I really think this is a perfect example of how much family means to Matthew Slater, how much giving back means to Matthew Slater, wanting to be like his dad and utilize the example he set in order to do what's right for others, not just on a football field, but in all walks of life. That's something that was very important to me and my family and was instilled to me at a young age. And that's something that Matthew Slater and I both discovered we have in common. And it took a debate family

Starting point is 00:23:24 connection to do it. As a lot of you know, I reside in Rhode Island. And the state of Rhode Island, particularly the capital city Providence, holds a special place in the heart of Matthew Slater. That's where he met his wife. She was a student at Brown University Medical School, and she was finishing up her residence at Women and Infants Hospital at the time, which is adjacent to Rhode Island Hospital. And because of that, the Slaters always wanted to maintain ties in the area well matthew happened to be giving a zoom conference with all the reporters that covered the team a couple of years ago and he had a black t-shirt on and it definitely caught my eye and for those of you watching on youtube right now i'll show you

Starting point is 00:23:57 a screenshot that i took of matthew slater and the shirt he was wearing and there's matthew with the t-shirt which says hi william debateate Elementary. Well, as you can imagine, this was pretty cool for me. Not only is it my last name, but William happens to be my great uncle. William Alexander Debate Sr. served as a councilman and a state senator in the Providence area from the 1940s through the 1960s. The school was named after him in his district. And when Matthew was asked about the shirt, he explained that he and his wife had adopted a fifth grade elementary class and he wanted to give the students from the Providence School a shout out. And I quote him verbatim.

Starting point is 00:24:33 He says, we're excited about our young people and the education they're receiving. We're happy to partner with them. And of course, I felt a great deal of pride. I felt a great deal of familial connection with Matthew at that moment. They continued to provide inspirational insight by Zoom. They purchased textbooks, supplies, and those things were provided to the students. And whether it's a familial connection like I have to this or not, you can definitely appreciate the dedication of Matthew and his family to philanthropy.

Starting point is 00:24:58 And it especially got me thinking of my uncle, who poured so much of himself into that community. I was just so honored to have our family associated with that. It really was one of those very rare times in either this or any other business when your professional and your familial worlds collide with pride. And to me, that lasting legacy is going to be so much more than Matthew and I having a chuckle at the coincidence of him wearing my family name on a t-shirt he wore to a press conference. It's the message of always considering the needs of others in everything that you do. That's the lasting memory I'll always have of

Starting point is 00:25:28 Matthew Slater on a football field and in life. And I close today with the ultimate tip of the cap to the ultimate professional, Matthew Slater. 16 years here in New England, you provided so much joy, so many great football moments, but most of all, your legacy of leadership will never be equaled again in a Patriots uniform. Matthew, I personally wish you nothing but the best in your future endeavors. And I, for one, can't wait for the day to watch you come back to Foxborough, don that red jacket.

Starting point is 00:25:53 And I certainly hope there are some gold threads in your future as well. And Pats fans, I thank you for joining me in this tribute to Matthew Slater today. Remember that because of some technical difficulties yesterday, Mock Draft Monday is going to be airing shortly here on YouTube and all across the Locked On Patriots podcast platforms. So be sure to keep a sharp eye out for that. And in a very special treat, stay tuned, folks, because the Pats cap himself, Miguel Benzon, is going to be joining us to discuss the Pats salary cap situation

Starting point is 00:26:22 in light of the releases of Lawrence Guy and Adrian Phillips. Yeah, folks, a ton of stuff going on in New England, and we're going to continue to bring it to you right here on Locked On Patriots. In the meantime, I am Mike DeBate, and I thank you again for all of the support you provide to Locked On Patriots on a daily basis, especially all you everydayers out there. Thank you for staying locked in. And I also remind you to stay safe and to stay well, and to be the change you wish to see in the world.

Starting point is 00:26:50 Have a great day, everyone, and we'll see you back here again shortly for some Mock Draft Mania on Locked on Patriots.

Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Matthew Slater Retires from New England Patriots: His Legacy, Case for Pro Football Hall of Fame

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.