FOXBOROUGH — Throughout his 16 seasons in Foxborough, it was often Matthew Slater who got the last word in for the Patriots.
At the height of New England’s reign, viewing clips of Slater’s “AWWWWWW YEAH” locker-room declarations became a staple of Patriots fans’ Monday routine, usually after picking up 87-cent Dunkin’ coffee following yet another win.
A special-teams ace whose credentials should warrant a spot in Canton, Slater served as the emotional heartbeat of a Patriots team that stood in stark contrast to the cold, efficient manner in which Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the rest of the team routinely decimated opponents out on the field.