Back to the New England Patriots Newsfeed

Matthew Slater’s Hall of Fame father didn’t want him to play football

ATLANTA — Matthew Slater is more than halfway to his father’s longevity as an NFL player. He doesn’t plan to equal it.

The star special teamer of the Patriots just completed his 11th pro season, and he’s at his fifth Super Bowl, with two wins. In his dad Jackie’s 20-season NFL career, he made one Super Bowl — coincidentally, with the Rams in 1980 — and lost to Pittsburgh.

“That’s a long time to do anything,” Matthew Slater said Tuesday. As for the kick coverage ace lasting so long, he added with a laugh: “Absolutely not.”

Of course, when your team becomes a regular visitor to the Super Bowl, it lengthens the season by more than a month.