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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Matthew Slater was universally celebrated as being the emotional centerpiece of the New England Patriots' locker room, building a resume as one of the league's most-decorated special teams players. After 16 NFL seasons, he says it's time to call it a career. A fifth-round draft pick out of UCLA by New England in 2008 and son of Hall of Famer Jackie Slater, he was unapologetically open about his Christian faith while growing into the embodiment of Bill Belichick's team-first culture. Along the way Slater was voted as the special teams captain 13 times while winning three Super Bowl rings, earning 10 Pro Bowl selections and two All-Pro honors.
