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I’d love to know what Jackie Slater tells Matthew before Super Bowls.
— Joe's O's (@Joes0s) January 30, 2018
New England Patriots special teams captain Matthew Slater is a 10-year veteran, a seven-time Pro Bowler, and a two-time All Pro that is preparing for his fourth career Super Bowl. He’s had an incredible career as the premier special teams ace of the past decade and, as is commonly noted, Slater’s football ability runs in the family.
Slater’s father is Jackie Slater, the Hall of Fame offensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams that played 20 years in the NFL, also reaching seven Pro Bowls and being named to four All Pro teams.
I was able to ask Matthew if his father had any advice for him as he prepared for the big game on Sunday.
“He does [have advice],” Slater said. “I think my dad is always encouraging me to stay in the moment. To prepare the way that I need to prepare, to remember my goals, to remember my focus, and to ultimately remember that the opportunity I have as a pro to play in this game is a special one.
“I do have a little more experience in these games than he does, but obviously my dad is the man and he’ll always be in my corner.”
Jackie Slater was only able to compete in one Super Bowl- a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XIV- so his son has much more experience in preparing for the championship game, but Jackie is always incredibly supportive and visible and is clearly a rock in Matthew’s life.
Matthew Slater also noted that he’s entirely focused on the Super Bowl and deflected any question that regarded events or decisions that would take place after the game. His goal is to win and his dad will make sure to remind him of that.