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Jackie Slater

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Jackie Slater
No. 78
Position: Offensive tackle
Personal information
Date of birth: (1954-05-27) May 27, 1954 (age 69)
Place of birth: Jackson, Mississippi
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Career information
College: Jackson State
NFL draft: 1976 / Round: 3 / Pick: 86
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played: 259
Games started: 211
Fumble recoveries: 4
Player stats at NFL.com

Jackie Ray Slater (born May 27, 1954) is a retired National Football League offensive tackle who played his entire 20-year career with the Rams organization, playing 19 seasons for the Rams in Los Angeles (1976–1994) and one season for the Rams in St. Louis in 1995.

A graduate of Jackson State University, he was a teammate of Walter Payton. Drafted in the third round of the 1976 NFL Draft, Slater seldom played his first few years before starting in 1979. Known as the most consistent member of one of the most potent offensive lines in NFL history, Slater was selected to seven Pro Bowls and broke a record for most seasons with one team. His jersey number was retired and he was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001.

Slater is currently the offensive line coach at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California. His son, Matthew Slater, is currently a special teams ace for the New England Patriots.

Biography

College

Slater was born in Jackson, Mississippi. He was the first member of his family to attend a desegregated school while growing up at Wingfield High School.[1] He attended Jackson State University where he played alongside Walter Payton for three years, who personally recruited him to the university.[1][2] Slater later credited Payton as the player who "taught him to compete in practice", seeing how Payton often played with an injured elbow.[1] He was a letterman in football and was selected to the Southwestern Athletic Conference All-Star Game three times, and as a senior, he was a First-team All–Black America selection, and was named an All-American selection by the Pittsburgh Courier. After his senior season, he was invited to participate in the College All-Star Game.[3]

NFL career

Although used primarily as a backup and special teams player during his first three seasons, Slater became the starting right tackle in 1979. That year the Rams went to Super Bowl XIV, where he successfully defended L.C. Greenwood from getting a quarterback sack.[1] In 1980, he was a part of an offensive line that surrendered just 29 sacks and helped the Rams’ offense finish second in the NFL in total yards gained with 6,006. In 1983, he and the Rams offensive line demonstrated their versatility when they allowed a league-low 23 sacks while also paving the way for Eric Dickerson’s rookie rushing record of 1,808 yards. In 1985, he was the key blocker for Dickerson as he ran for a playoff record 248 yards and two touchdowns against the Dallas Cowboys in a NFL divisional game.[2] During a 1989 playoff game, Slater prevented Reggie White, who was considered the premium pass rusher in the NFL, from sacking the quarterback, a game that Slater later became best known for.[1][4] Slater was considered by critics the most consistent lineman on one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, which also included Pro Bowlers Kent Hill and Dennis Harrah and was regonized for his "work ethic and leadership skills" when he was inducted to the Hall of Fame.[4][5] He retired after the 1995 season when injuries reduced him to playing one game the entire year.[6] He is the only player in league history to play for one single team/franchise in three different cities (Los Angeles 1976-1979, Anaheim 1980-1994, and St. Louis 1995)

He was voted the National Football League Players Association NFC Offensive Lineman of the year four times—1983, 1986, 1987, and 1989 and was the Athletes in Action/Bart Starr Award winner after the 1995 season. Slater played in 259 games from 1976 to 1995, a then-record for offensive lineman (broken by Bruce Matthews in the 1999 season).[1] He was the first player to play 20 seasons for one team, later matched by Washington Redskins cornerback Darrell Green and Detroit Lions kicker Jason Hanson and third all-time.[5] He played for 24 quarterbacks and 37 running backs in his lengthy career, during which seven running backs reached for over 1,000 yards in a season and played in seven Pro Bowls.[5] Former teammate Jim Everett stated "Jackie Slater is proof they were playing football in the prehistoric days".[1] He was Dickerson's Hall of Fame presenter in 1999.[1] In 2001, Slater was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Upon hearing his induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, fellow inductee and teammate Jack Youngblood said "Jackie Slater didn't want to just beat you, he wanted to dominate you. That's what made him the player that he was."[1] On being honored, Slater stated "As you walk around and shake hands with some of the greatest players in history, it finally hits you, that you belong. You're a part of the greatest roster ever assembled."[7]

Coaching career

After his football career ended, Slater worked with an ABC affiliate in Los Angeles.[8] He participated as a guest coach during St. Louis Rams training camps in the early 2000s.[8] On February 16, 2006, Oakland Raiders head coach Art Shell hired him to become a co-offensive lineman coach along with Irv Eatman. Slater was hired to mentor Robert Gallery, moving him to left tackle.[9] Gallery struggled that season and Slater was released by the Raiders for the 2007 season and replaced by Tom Cable.[9] He is currently the offensive line coach at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California.[10]

Personal

His son Matthew, who played college football at UCLA, was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft.[11] He is currently a gunner, and special teams captain for the Patriots. The Slaters have 12 Pro Bowl nods between them, and his son's nominations to the Pro Bowl makes the Slater family the third most nominated family in the NFL (only the Manning family (Archie, Peyton and Eli) and the Matthews family (Bruce, Clay Jr and Clay III)] have more Pro-Bowl nominations as a family).[12] Slater is active with the NFL Play 60 program, which sends NFL players to schools to discuss spending 60 minutes a day to participate in sports activities.[13] Another son, David is in his final year in college, and Slater and his family live in Los Angeles.[10]

See also

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References

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  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.(subscription required)
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.(subscription required)
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.(subscription required)

External links

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