Joey Slye flattered by recognition from Patriots coaching legend after historic Week 4 performance vs. 49ers
The New England Patriots have struggled in a lot of areas during their first four games of the season. However, the one area they have excelled in is special teams. And last week's game was all about Joey Slye. Despite the loss, the veteran kicker made history and it caught the attention of one Patriots […]
The New England Patriots have struggled in a lot of areas during their first four games of the season. However, the one area they have excelled in is special teams.
And last week's game was all about Joey Slye. Despite the loss, the veteran kicker made history and it caught the attention of one Patriots legend.
"Obviously he's known as probably one of the best coaches in NFL history," Slye to A to Z Sports. "So just the fact that he mentioned my name was pretty cool.
So if you haven't figured it out yet, he was referencing the comments former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick made about him on the Pat McAfee Show. Belichick praised the veteran, while also taking a shot at Chad Ryland, who the former head coach was responsible for drafting in the fourth round last year.
"But Joey Slye, that was a great addition for them," Belichick said on Monday. "They got a good kicker and that's a big upgrade from where we were last year.
However, Slye won't let Belichick's praise give him a big ego. He knows it's now Belichick's job to follow the NFL and point out good performances as a media member.
"But at the same time, obviously he's doing media stuff with ESPN and working on the Pat McAfee Show, so obviously he still probably has an eye on the organization as well. So obviously it was a cool thing for him to say my name, but again it's kind of the purpose of the job."
The Patriots signed Slye to a one-year deal in May, and he had to compete with Ryland, the second-year kicker, for the roster spot. At the beginning of the summer, things were fairly even between the two. But as Ryland's inconsistency became even more apparent, Slye proved to be the safer and more reliable choice.
So the team made the decision to waive Ryland and keep Slye.
And it's already proving to be the right call.
In the loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Slye made Patriots franchise history. His 63-yard field goal broke the prior record held by Stephen Gostkowski at 62-yards.
Head coach Jerod Mayo also took a moment on Monday morning to praise Slye for his efforts this season.
"I was so happy for him yesterday, hitting a 63-yard field goal," Mayo said. "This is a guy who has great energy in the locker room. The guys love him, and he's performing well for us."
Slye is eight-for-nine this season, only missing one from the 40-49 range. He is 2-for-2 from over 50 yards.
NFL makes hilarious decision right after Patriots K Joey Slye broke a franchise record
Slye's celebration was short lived. On Monday when he arrived back at Gillette Stadium, a message was waiting for him from the NFL.
The kicker posted a photo of the note left on his locker, saying he has been selected for a random drug test by the league. And Slye specifically highlighted one word from that.
"'Random,'" he simply wrote.
He's not wrong. The NFL always has a way of selecting players who excel the day prior for these 'random' tests.
