Matthew Slater is one of the most respected players in the New England Patriots locker room. The special teams ace is an eight-year team captain, works as the Patriots’ player representative at the NFLPA, and traditionally breaks down the post-game huddle in the locker room. In short: Slater is as a leader both on and off the field.
It is therefore no surprise that the seven-time Pro Bowler, who received the prestigious Bart Starr Award last year, is listed as the Patriots’ nominee for yet another award — one that was first introduced in 2014 and honors sportsmanship: the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, named after the late Pittsburgh Steelers owner.