FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots captain Matthew Slater, who has tied Steve Tasker for most career Pro Bowl berths by a special teams player with seven, spoke passionately Tuesday about the importance of keeping the kickoff in football, saying if it is eliminated due to safety concerns it would be "tragic."
Slater, entering his 11th NFL season, added that the careers of many players would be affected negatively.
"You take away this play from football, you're changing the fabric of the game," he said Tuesday after the second day of the Patriots' voluntary offseason program.