Matthew Slater is one of the greatest special teams players the NFL has ever seen. He’s been named All-Pro four times, and his seven Pro Bowl selections are tied with Steve Tasker for the most by a special teams player in NFL history. He’s also a Patriots team captain.
And most football fans have no clue who he is.
Despite being a wide receiver, Slater has caught just one pass in his entire 10-year career. He doesn’t have the stats, or the glitz, or the glamour, but that hasn’t stopped him from being one of the leaders on the greatest dynasty the NFL has ever seen.
Slater is also a very outspoken man of God who shares his faith in Christ as often as he can, especially when the platform is the biggest the sports world can offer — the Super Bowl.
On Monday night, Slater was asked by Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports about being a man of faith and playing against a team that also has many players who are unashamed to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord.
Patriots’ Matthew Slater shouts out the faith in the #Eagles locker room (@AO1Foundation, @Sports_Spectrum): pic.twitter.com/XzQzOpqet8
— Cody Benjamin (@CodyJBenjamin) January 30, 2018
“I really appreciate Carson’s boldness for the Gospel, how he represents Christ day in and day out,” Slater said. “It’s not only him, it’s Nick (Foles), Chris Maragos, Brother Burton (Trey), there are a lot of brothers over there that stand firm for what they believe in and they represent the Gospel in tremendous fashion.”
Slater says that football is a game, and on Sunday, they’ll do battle for 60 minutes to see who reigns supreme. But in the end, what really matters is where they’ll spend eternity.
“Ultimately, I know to them, and myself, that’s what going to matter in eternity, beyond the game of football,” Slater said. “They’re my brothers in the Lord for a long time to come, but Sunday, obviously, we’ll be competing.”
For more on Matthew Slater’s faith and what the Gospel means to him, click below.
Football Sunday Feature: Matthew Slater on New England Patriots’ incredible Super Bowl LI win
Related links:
– Football Sunday 2018: Seek, Surrender, Serve
– Download the Football Sunday edition of Sports Spectrum Magazine
– Football Sunday Feature: Adam Thielen’s Pro Bowl Perseverance
– Minneapolis hosting 33 days of prayer in preparation for Super Bowl
– Patriots Nate Solder leaning on Christ despite son’s rare cancer diagnosis
