In a statement issued on Tuesday morning, former UCLA Bruins star Matthew Slater officially announced his retirement from the NFL.
Playing 16 years in New England for the Patriots, the First-team All-Pac-10 player in 2007 for the Bruins decided to hang up his cleats. Drafted in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft, Slater finished his career with three Super Bowl titles, First-team All-Pro honors five times, and the winner of the Bart Starr and Art Rooney awards during his tenure in New England.
A special teams guru for the Bruins and the Patriots, Slater did the dirty work for both teams, returning kicks and supplying punt and kickoff coverage throughout the majority of his career.
A message from Matthew Slater. pic.twitter.com/diVYMtAapu
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) February 20, 2024
The son of Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams running back great Jackie Slater, Matthew Slater followed in his father’s footsteps playing football, growing up in nearby Anaheim, California.
Slater finishes his NFL career as one of the winningest UCLA Bruins in the big leagues. Tying Troy Aikman’s three Super Bowls, Slater’s success in the NFL rivals that of many of his former Bruin counterparts.
A pillar in the New England community and displaying great character and sportsmanship, Slater will be remembered for “doing his job” on and off the field for the Bruins and the Patriots.