If you were to ask current and former New England Patriots who the best guy in the locker room was during their time with the team, a majority would probably give Matthew Slater as an answer.
That’s why when New York Giants head coach, and former Patriots special teams coordinator, Joe Judge gave everyone a peek inside their relationship prior to Thursday’s joint practice, not many were surprised.
“He made me a better coach every day,” Judge stated. “To have a player of that caliber you got to know that you’ve got to come in the building every day, and you got to be ready to make him a better player.”
The coach also added: “If Matt needed a kidney tomorrow, he’d get it tonight.”
Joe Judge on Matthew Slater: “Matt made me a better coach.” pic.twitter.com/86GQthfOrR
— Henry McKenna (@McKennAnalysis) August 26, 2021
Judge and Slater spent eight seasons together in New England when Judge was a special teams assistant and then eventually the special teams coordinator when Scott O’Brien moved from coaching into a scouting role.
Through all of those seasons, Slater was a captain for the Patriots, as he continues to be now both on the field and off it.
It’s evident that he’s made an impact on many of the players and coaches that have come through the team including Judge.
