Matthew Wilson Slater (born September 9, 1985) is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at UCLA, where he received first-team All-Pac-10 honors, and was selected by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. A special teams player for most of his career, Slater is considered one of the NFL's greatest gunners. He holds the record for special teams Pro Bowl selections at 10, in addition to two first-team All-Pros. Slater also won three Super Bowl titles in Super Bowl XLIX, Super Bowl LI, and Super Bowl LIII. Early years Slater was born in Long Beach, California to Annie Slater and former NFL tackle and Hall of Famer Jackie Slater. He has a brother named David. Slater lettered in football for two seasons at Servite High School in Anaheim, California, where he was teammates with Ryan Kalil. Slater was an All-West selection by Prep Star and a three-star selection by Rivals.com. He was also a two-time All-Serra League selection. As a junior, Slater made 23 catches for 333 yards and two touchdowns. As a senior, he had 39 receptions for 707 yards and five touchdowns. In high school, Slater was also a standout track athlete. He tied for second at the CIF State meet in the 100 meters, with a time of 10.62 seconds, and fourth in the 200 meters, with a time of 21.39 seconds. His 4 × 100 metres relay team was the CIF champion. Slater was selected as the 2003 Orange County Register Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year as a senior. He still holds school records in the 100 meters and 200 meters. College career Slater attended the University of California, Los Angeles and majored in political science and history, while playing for the Bruins football team. As a freshman, he redshirted due to a turf toe injury. In 2004, as a second-year freshman, Slater appeared in games against Illinois, Arizona, and Stanford. As a sophomore in 2005, Slater was a reserve wide receiver. He missed the first three games due to a stress fracture in his left leg. Slater played in two games but did not make a reception. As a junior in 2006, Slater played 13 games, including two (Washington and Arizona) on defense. He excelled on kick coverage, specializing in big hits on kick