On Monday, Matthew Slater was named to the Pro Bowl for the ninth time, extending his own record for the most appearances by a special teams player.
Then on Tuesday when discussing Slater, Bill Belichick gave him the highest of compliments -- calling him the best special teams player ever to play the game.
"I can’t think of anybody that’s done more than he has and that’s done it over a very consistent period of time at an extremely high level, in addition to all the other qualities that he brings off the field – leadership, just doing the right thing, just the person and the human being that he is," he said on a conference call. "But, his competitiveness on the field, he’s a great teammate – just outstanding in all areas.
"It would be hard for me to imagine anybody going ahead of him. We’ve had some great players here and I’ve had some great players through my career – in Cleveland, going back to the Giants – but, he’s certainly the very best that I’ve ever been around and that we’ve had to play against, as well. His consistency is outstanding, but he factors in on a lot of plays."
Slater, 35, has put together an outstanding career, certainly worthy of Pro Football Hall of Fame consideration, but his status may depend on his Steve Tasker, another tremendous special teams player can get in ahead of him.