1
00:00:00,760 --> 00:00:03,200
Speaker 1: A few snow you can snow with games. How how

2
00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:04,200
Speaker 1: does that affect the seat?

3
00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:07,360
Speaker 2: Uh? Well, I I think it's a great opportunity. I

4
00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:10,119
Speaker 2: think about when I was a kid living in Saint

5
00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:13,360
Speaker 2: Louis my dad's last year, and how any time it

6
00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:16,079
Speaker 2: snowed you wanna go outside and played football. That was

7
00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:18,360
Speaker 2: like the first thing you wanted to do. And although

8
00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:20,639
Speaker 2: all these years later, I still feel the same way.

9
00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:23,680
Speaker 2: So our guys are excited about that should make for

10
00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:26,720
Speaker 2: uh a fun game. And then obviously, you know there

11
00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:28,720
Speaker 2: there are certain things that come into play with that,

12
00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:32,160
Speaker 2: you know, ball handling and communication and things like that,

13
00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:35,159
Speaker 2: so can't be ready to handle that, but uh, it's

14
00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:36,800
Speaker 2: gonna be a great opportunity for us.

15
00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:40,800
Speaker 3: When you get fected on side.

16
00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:44,839
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it's obviously, you know. The one thing

17
00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:48,040
Speaker 2: I'll say is I I feel very appreciated, uh by

18
00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:52,520
Speaker 2: the people in the building and certainly just thankful for

19
00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:59,200
Speaker 2: uh however, how everyone has treated me this week and

20
00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:02,040
Speaker 2: the the thanks that they've expressed and things like that.

21
00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:08,920
Speaker 2: I'm sure it'll be emotional Sunday for obvious reasons. But

22
00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:11,560
Speaker 2: you know, my job is to focus on playing football,

23
00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:14,839
Speaker 2: and you know I've always tried to do my job,

24
00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:17,319
Speaker 2: so that's not gonna change on Sunday.

25
00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:24,560
Speaker 1: Being uniquely positioned to fill your shoes. How next year,

26
00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:26,800
Speaker 1: is there somebody that said you could quite chose they

27
00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:35,520
Speaker 1: they can see because career art.

28
00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:35,120
Speaker 2: You know, it's tough to say. I I don't like

29
00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:39,840
Speaker 2: to to compare and and and I don't think that

30
00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:42,400
Speaker 2: anyone should try to be anyone else. I think guys

31
00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:45,640
Speaker 2: have to be themselves and operating the gifts that God

32
00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:49,760
Speaker 2: has given them. So I always encourage guys to just

33
00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:53,920
Speaker 2: be themselves. You know, whatever my role has been will

34
00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:58,600
Speaker 2: be is. Uh. It is because God has uniquely called

35
00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:02,000
Speaker 2: me to do that. But you know the next guy, uh,

36
00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,640
Speaker 2: when that time comes, he's gotta be himself. So we'll see.

37
00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:08,480
Speaker 3: I know it's kind of hard to think about legacy,

38
00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:10,680
Speaker 3: but when you first start, I want to get what

39
00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:12,640
Speaker 3: you first thought your legacy would be when he started

40
00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:15,440
Speaker 3: in the NFL, and now looking back on your career,

41
00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:17,400
Speaker 3: what you hope your legacy is on this team and

42
00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:18,519
Speaker 3: this community.

43
00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:21,080
Speaker 2: You know it with. Yeah, appreciate that question. Well, when

44
00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:23,400
Speaker 2: I started, I wasn't thinking much about legacy at all.

45
00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:27,080
Speaker 2: I think the only legacy I had when I started

46
00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:30,960
Speaker 2: was I'm Jackie Slater's son, So people didn't even know

47
00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:34,520
Speaker 2: my name, didn't know my story. And you know what

48
00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:37,639
Speaker 2: I didn't. I didn't have a big vision for what

49
00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:39,919
Speaker 2: my legacy might be. I didn't think about it at all.

50
00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:44,640
Speaker 2: Certainly didn't envision being in one place for this long.

51
00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:49,320
Speaker 2: So I think for me just uh, the thing that

52
00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:52,119
Speaker 2: I value most and the thing that I I hope

53
00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:54,480
Speaker 2: people will remember me by when my time is up,

54
00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:57,800
Speaker 2: is you know what I did off the football field, Uh,

55
00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:01,239
Speaker 2: how I engaged with the community. How I try to

56
00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:04,560
Speaker 2: use my platform the right way uh to connect with people,

57
00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:09,880
Speaker 2: uplift them and you know, bring the bring the people

58
00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:13,200
Speaker 2: around me up. And that's always been my approach. Uh

59
00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:16,880
Speaker 2: A servanthood, and that c stems from my faith in Christ.

60
00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:20,959
Speaker 2: I believe he was a a great servant, a great leader,

61
00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:24,360
Speaker 2: and I've tried to emulate that in every aspect of

62
00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:26,880
Speaker 2: my life. It hasn't been perfect by any means, but

63
00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:29,160
Speaker 2: you know, I help. When people think about me, they

64
00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:32,120
Speaker 2: don't just think about a guy, uh that was running

65
00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:34,079
Speaker 2: up and down covering kicks, but they think about a

66
00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:38,800
Speaker 2: guy who tried to pursue manhood to the best of

67
00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:41,360
Speaker 2: his ability, tried to help the people around him to

68
00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:43,400
Speaker 2: the best of his ability, and tried to serve others

69
00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:46,480
Speaker 2: to the best of his ability. Would be uh would

70
00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:51,480
Speaker 2: be proud, I hope, So, I hope he would. I

71
00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:54,440
Speaker 2: think he I think he'd be shocked that, Uh, we'd

72
00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:57,600
Speaker 2: still be staying here all these years. I'm still shocked.

73
00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:03,119
Speaker 2: So you've asked jack uh going back to that view,

74
00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:09,200
Speaker 2: was what have you learned from Jackie sebou the end

75
00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:10,040
Speaker 2: of that season?

76
00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:12,560
Speaker 1: Yeah?

77
00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:19,600
Speaker 2: Now, well it's you know, it's it's a very very

78
00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:21,680
Speaker 2: good question. It's it's tough. I mean I I I

79
00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:24,160
Speaker 2: think you know, the biggest thing that he had to

80
00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:27,599
Speaker 2: wrestle with was well, when the right time to walk

81
00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:34,080
Speaker 2: away would be? You know, I think we all wrestle

82
00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:37,160
Speaker 2: with that. Well, we've been blessed, uh my dad and

83
00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:39,080
Speaker 2: I to have to wrestle with that question. I mean

84
00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:41,800
Speaker 2: a lot of guys the decisions made for you, but

85
00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:46,680
Speaker 2: I think for him, like perspective was so important. You know,

86
00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:49,520
Speaker 2: football was what he did, but not who he was.

87
00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:52,560
Speaker 2: And I feel the same way. It's what I do,

88
00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:54,200
Speaker 2: but it's not who I am. And I'm not gonna

89
00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:59,640
Speaker 2: stop existing or being Matthew, when football's done for me,

90
00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:03,920
Speaker 2: you know, it's it's not my identity. And I think

91
00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:06,920
Speaker 2: that that was very helpful for him in his transition,

92
00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:10,559
Speaker 2: because when you when you place your identity in something

93
00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:15,400
Speaker 2: that's temporary, when that is removed, then you struggle not

94
00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:18,400
Speaker 2: to say that he didn't have issues transitioning. I'm sure

95
00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:20,800
Speaker 2: I don't have some as well. But I think for us,

96
00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:26,040
Speaker 2: our faith in Christ, our north star's helpful for him

97
00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:28,320
Speaker 2: and it will be helpful for me and you know,

98
00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:31,000
Speaker 2: making the next steps, making the next decisions, and you know,

99
00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:32,000
Speaker 2: whenever that time may be.

100
00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:38,479
Speaker 1: When did you start to appreciate or amoledge? Oh?

101
00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:43,119
Speaker 2: Year one, Uh, I was like, man, this is hard.

102
00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:46,640
Speaker 2: There are a lot of good players, it's a tough league.

103
00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:53,159
Speaker 2: Injuries happen, uh, politics happen, there are situations, There's so

104
00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:56,080
Speaker 2: many things outside of your control as an NFL player.

105
00:05:56,640 --> 00:05:59,360
Speaker 2: As much as you you know, control the things you can,

106
00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:05,080
Speaker 2: the NFL is so unpredictable and so many different things

107
00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:07,120
Speaker 2: happened that you that you really don't have a say.

108
00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:11,479
Speaker 2: And so I think my first year I realized, man,

109
00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:13,440
Speaker 2: what he did was really special. And then certainly as

110
00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:17,760
Speaker 2: I've gotten older, and my body has changed. I'm like, man,

111
00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:21,839
Speaker 2: how did you do this for that long? And you know,

112
00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:24,120
Speaker 2: he's just very matter of fact, I don't know it,

113
00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:26,400
Speaker 2: just kept working at it, kept staying at it. So

114
00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:29,640
Speaker 2: but that's my dad for people and on. But yeah,

115
00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:32,680
Speaker 2: I look, I have more of an appreciation now than

116
00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:34,919
Speaker 2: at any point in time in my life or what

117
00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:36,680
Speaker 2: he was able to accomplish in his.

118
00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:41,560
Speaker 1: Career through the whole process.

119
00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:48,240
Speaker 2: Sounds like you guys have decided for me. Yeah, look,

120
00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:50,279
Speaker 2: I look, I I yeah, that's my plan is just

121
00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:54,000
Speaker 2: take it like any season, and you know, my wife

122
00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:56,719
Speaker 2: and I will make that decision my family and we'll

123
00:06:56,760 --> 00:07:01,200
Speaker 2: go from there. The perfect What does it mean for

124
00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:03,520
Speaker 2: you to be the perfect teammate? And for you personally,

125
00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:05,920
Speaker 2: when did you trans sad from being just a great

126
00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:08,200
Speaker 2: teammate to someone who wanted to make a difference in

127
00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:15,160
Speaker 2: the community. Well, that's very kind of seen my entire journey. Obviously,

128
00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:18,840
Speaker 2: we came in together, and he'll be the first one

129
00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:21,920
Speaker 2: to tell you he'd be the last guy. I would

130
00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:24,040
Speaker 2: be the last guy that anyone thought would still be

131
00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:27,200
Speaker 2: doing this, you know. I again, I think for me,

132
00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:30,400
Speaker 2: when we think about being a teammate, It's about serving

133
00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:33,840
Speaker 2: the guys around you and seeing them and their lives

134
00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:36,320
Speaker 2: beyond the game and what they do off the field.

135
00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:40,640
Speaker 2: They're understanding their why, getting in all their families, getting

136
00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:42,920
Speaker 2: in know their life experience. I think that's really important.

137
00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:47,360
Speaker 2: I mean, people drive this whole thing. It's a lot

138
00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:49,640
Speaker 2: of times we get caught up in numbers and measurements

139
00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:53,160
Speaker 2: and records and outcomes, and I understand it's production business,

140
00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:57,120
Speaker 2: but at the core its people and I think as

141
00:07:57,240 --> 00:08:01,760
Speaker 2: humans we all share, you know, that human experience, and

142
00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:03,760
Speaker 2: I think it's important to connect and relate to that.

143
00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:08,280
Speaker 2: So that's always been important to me ever since I

144
00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:11,520
Speaker 2: started playing sport, and then you know, obviously taking that

145
00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:16,120
Speaker 2: same ideology off the field. It's something that I was

146
00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:19,239
Speaker 2: raised to do. My parents did it. Remember us serving

147
00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:22,880
Speaker 2: at soup kitchens, volunteering uh all the time as young people,

148
00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:25,880
Speaker 2: and we understood that life was bigger than what happened

149
00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:29,240
Speaker 2: within the slater bubble, and if we could use the

150
00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:32,680
Speaker 2: resources and opportunities that we had to bless others. Uh,

151
00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:34,679
Speaker 2: that's what God was calling us to do. So my

152
00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:36,760
Speaker 2: my mother and father modeled that for my brother and

153
00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:40,079
Speaker 2: I something that I embraced at a young age, and

154
00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:43,800
Speaker 2: you know, something I want my kids to do as well.

155
00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:48,959
Speaker 2: I sort of with now with a Debil Acordy or

156
00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:49,880
Speaker 2: even Tom Brady.

157
00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:52,920
Speaker 3: How much will you rely on that while making this decision.

158
00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:56,640
Speaker 2: Well, yeah, look, I've I've I've spoken to all those

159
00:08:56,679 --> 00:09:03,040
Speaker 2: guys about crossing over, so to speak, and and what

160
00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:08,280
Speaker 2: that experience was like for them. I think all three

161
00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:13,079
Speaker 2: of them were in pretty unique positions. Tom probably feels

162
00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:17,160
Speaker 2: like he can still play to this day. Gerard obviously,

163
00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:19,560
Speaker 2: you know, had some injuries and then Devin made his

164
00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:22,360
Speaker 2: decision last year. But it's been it's been helpful, bless you.

165
00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:27,120
Speaker 2: It's been helpful to talk to those guys about their experience, Uh,

166
00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:31,520
Speaker 2: take their feedback, you know. L all three of those guys,

167
00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:33,400
Speaker 2: the guys I respect, I worked with for a long

168
00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:36,199
Speaker 2: time and I've had huge impacts on my life. So

169
00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:39,400
Speaker 2: obviously there's a lot to learn from me from them,

170
00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:42,920
Speaker 2: and I'll definitely be using that as I make my decision.

171
00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:46,679
Speaker 1: So what would you like to say about coach leadership

172
00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:48,840
Speaker 1: for you over your whole career.

173
00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:54,960
Speaker 2: It's been transformative. I wouldn't have had a third of

174
00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:58,320
Speaker 2: the career that I've had without coach, and he's pushed

175
00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:02,640
Speaker 2: me every step of the way. He he's shown belief

176
00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:04,319
Speaker 2: in me when I think a lot of people wouldn't

177
00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:07,120
Speaker 2: have and you know, give giving me an opportunity coming

178
00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:10,080
Speaker 2: out of college where uh, you know a lot of

179
00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:13,160
Speaker 2: other teams would not have. And he's kept me around

180
00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:16,120
Speaker 2: uh a lot longer than I thought he would. So uh,

181
00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:18,559
Speaker 2: I certainly appreciate that. I certainly appreciate the way he

182
00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:23,520
Speaker 2: leads from the front and his example, his sacrifice, his accountability.

183
00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:26,040
Speaker 2: I can go on and on about coach, but you know,

184
00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:29,839
Speaker 2: simply stated, I mean, I'm I'm not standing up here

185
00:10:29,880 --> 00:10:33,360
Speaker 2: talking to you without Coach Belichick. So appreciate you, guys,