Football has been one of my loves since I can remember. Some of my earliest recollections of the game were seeing my father prepare for training camp with the Los Angeles Rams.
We spent every summer in Meridian, Mississippi, visiting my grandparents. During the sweltering summer days in Meridian, I would often accompany my father to the local high school field.
While I sat in the shade, asking for snow cones, my father would slowly put himself through his paces. I recall those days more vividly than I do his games. They were not glamorous.
There was no audience to cheer him on. There were no lights flashing. There were no critics criticizing.
Just a man, my hero, devoted himself to the game he loved so much. He never felt burdened by his work and saw it as a pleasure to be able to do what he enjoyed.
It was a gift from the Lord. Experiencing my hero’s love for the game in speech and deed was transforming. I soon developed the same feelings about the game that had been so beneficial New England Patriot to our family.
For the last 25 years of my life, 16 of them as a, I have been extremely fortunate to be able to emulate the man I watched on those Meridian fields by participating in the sport that I adore.
I have done everything I can to respect and honor the game. Though my relationship with the game is evolving, my love for it will last a lifetime.
As a player, God used football to teach, discipline, encourage, and develop me as a person.
To my mother and father, Annie and Jackie Slater, thank you for committing to raising and supporting me in the way you did.
Thank you for instilling in me the value of faith in Christ and loving those around you. Mom, you are the foundation of our family.
You gave so much, and your faith in me never faltered. Thank you, my brother David, for sharing my life and always having my back. I adore you all.
