Matthew Slater will never forget this memory with Dante Scarnecchia
FOXBOROUGH, Mass – While Matthew Slater might not have worked with Dante Scarnecchia directly on the offensive line, the New England Patriots captain will always remember the impact he had on the organization. “It’s hard to summarize what Dante means to me personally and this place in a few sentences," Slater told A to Z […]
FOXBOROUGH, Mass – While Matthew Slater might not have worked with Dante Scarnecchia directly on the offensive line, the New England Patriots captain will always remember the impact he had on the organization.
“It’s hard to summarize what Dante means to me personally and this place in a few sentences," Slater told A to Z Sports on Friday. "But honestly, when I think of Dante, obviously we’re getting ready to celebrate his legacy as a coach, but I think of the man that he is and the character he possesses and how that impacted everyone in this building, not just the offensive line.”
And as has been said by many of his former players, Scarnecchia's coaching style was tough, but impactful. But his former players wouldn't have had it any other way.
“He probably was one of the hardest coaches in terms of ways he coached the guys, but he loved you the most and I think that’s why he got the most out of everyone because the guys knew he was invested in them as people, as men that he loved and cared about them," Slater explained. "And when he needed to be demanding and when he needed to get on guys, they always responded because of him.”
Having been with the Patriots for 16 seasons, Slater has created numerous memories. And when asked about his favorite with Scarnecchia, he didn't disappoint.
“To me, my favorite memories of Dante were when he would do goal-line install on Friday’s," Slater said. "And he was very expressive and creative in those installs and I used to joke with my buddy Ryan Wendell and some of the other guys like, ‘man, I can’t wait to see what Dante says today.’ Some of the phrases I still use. But those goal-line installs, I’ll never forget as long as I live.”
There are not many members on the team who had the privilege to work with Scarnecchia, so Slater always makes sure to try and pass on those lessons to the younger players.
“Technically, I always think about his inside out and pass protection. ‘You gotta stay inside out,'” Slater said. "And that’s something, that’s a phrase that’s still uttered to this day. But I just think toughness, practice habits, the importance of practice, things that he preached are certainly ringing all of our memories, the guys that played for him, and that’s something that we tried to pass on to everybody.”
