New England Patriots special teamer Matthew Slater announced his retirement on Tuesday after 16 and three Super Bowl wins with the team.
The 38-year-old reflected on his career in a lengthy statement released via the Patriots. It began and ended with nods to his father, former Los Angeles Rams offensive lineman Jackie Slater, who was inducted into the Pro Bowl Hall of Fame in 2001.
Slater recalled the experience of visiting his grandparents in Meridian, Mississippi every summer and watching his father train at a local high school during those trips.
"For the last 25 years of my life, 16 of them as a New England Patriot, I have been incredibly blessed to be able to emulate the man I saw on those fields in Meridian by playing the game that I love so much," Slater wrote.