New England Patriots veteran special teams player Matthew Slater has played for head coach Bill Belichick for 16 years after the team selected him in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft and has now emerged as one of the team’s captains. During that span, Belichick has led the team to three Super Bowl titles, but he claims that his proudest moment playing for Belichick actually came during a preseason game this week.
During Saturday night’s preseason game against the Green Bay Packers, Patriots cornerback Isaiah Bolden sustained a scary injury and had to be carted off the field and admitted to a nearby hospital.
As a result of the scary injury, Bill Belichick pushed for the game to be called as players from both sides expressed their concern for Bolden. And Belichick’s push to end the game certainly earned the respect of Slater.
Patriots captain Matthew Slater on Bill Belichick's decision to urge an end to tonight's game: "Honestly that was one of the proudest moments I've had as a guy who's played for him for 16 years. There was no hesitation."
— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) August 20, 2023
“Honestly that was one of the proudest moments I’ve had as a guy who’s played for him for 16 years. There was no hesitation,” Slater said after the game, according to New England Patriots beat writer Chad Graff of The Athletic.
It’s clear that the respect comes not from just success on the field, but from how Belichick handled a difficult situation.
