What is Matthew Slater's Net Worth and Salary?
Matthew Slater is an American professional football player who has a net worth of $13 million. Matthew Slater was born in Baldwin Park, California in September 1985. Slater is a wide receiver and special teams player who played at Servite High School where he was an All-West selection by Prep Star and a two-time All-Serra League selection. Matthew's father Jackie Slater is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Matthew played college football for the University of California, Los Angeles. In 2007 he was named First-team All-Pac-10 and First-team All-American. Slater was drafted #153 by the New England Patriots in the 2008 NFL Draft. He won Super Bowls XLIX, LI, and LIII with the Patriots.
Early Life and High School
Matthew Slater was born on September 9, 1985 in Long Beach, California to Annie Slater and former NFL tackle Jackie Slater. He has a brother, David. As a teenager, Slater went to Servite High School in Anaheim, where he lettered in football for two seasons. In his junior year, he made 23 catches for 333 yards and two touchdowns, and as a senior had 39 receptions for 707 yards and five touchdowns. Beyond football, Slater was a star track athlete in high school. He tied for second place in the 100-meter dash at the CIF State meet, and won the 4 x 100-meter relay with his team.
Collegiate Career
For college, Slater went to UCLA, where he majored in political science and history and played for the Bruins football team. After redshirting in his freshman year due to injury, he played more as a second-year freshman. Slater became a reserve wide receiver as a sophomore in 2005. He saw more activity in his junior year, when he played 13 games and recorded nine tackles. In his senior year in 2007, Slater also played 13 games, this time making 25 tackles; he also returned 34 kicks for a 29-yard average, the best kickoff return average in the Pac-10. Moreover, his 986 kickoff return yards set a new UCLA single-season record.
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New England Patriots, 2008-2018
In the 2008 NFL Draft, Slater was chosen by the New England Patriots in the fifth round. He went on to play 14 games in his rookie season, returning 11 kickoffs for 155 yards. Slater played 14 games again the next season, returning 11 kickoffs for 269 yards and making a career-high 35-yard kickoff return in the regular-season finale. His 2010 season was less auspicious, as he failed to record any offensive or defensive statistics or return any kicks. However, Slater did manage 21 tackles on special teams. For the 2011 season, he was voted to be the special teams captain. In that role, Slater led the Patriots with 17 regular-season special teams tackles. The team went on to appear in Super Bowl XLVI, ultimately falling to the New York Giants. After signing a new three-year contract with the Patriots in 2012, Slater was again voted special teams captain.
Slater continued to be a sturdy special teams captain in 2013, posting 14 regular-season tackles. The next year was even better, as he and the Patriots won Super Bowl XLIX over the Seattle Seahawks. Slater remained a standout on special teams over the subsequent years, racking up Pro Bowl nominations along the way. In early 2017, he won the Bart Starr Award for exemplifying character and leadership both on the field and off. He went on to help the Patriots finish the regular season with a 14-2 record, en route to another Super Bowl title in Super Bowl LI. Slater and the Patriots subsequently made it to Super Bowl LII, but lost to the Philadelphia Eagles. The following season, they won Super Bowl LIII by beating the Los Angeles Rams 13-3.
New England Patriots, 2019-2023
In the 2019 season, Slater scored his first NFL touchdown in a Week 4 victory over the Buffalo Bills. Following the departure of Tom Brady and the release of Stephen Gostkowski from the team in 2020, he became the longest active member of the Patriots. Slater continued being a special teams standout, posting 11 regular-season tackles in 2021 and making his record 10th Pro Bowl. Slater signed a one-year contract extension with the Patriots in 2022, and signed another one in 2023.
Personal Life and Charity
Slater married physician Shahrzad Ehdaivand in 2015. Together, they have three children. In 2020, the pair founded the Slater Family Foundation. Slater has been involved in a number of other charitable endeavors over the years, including ones related to hurricane relief and humanitarian aid for impoverished children.
