Patriots' Slater hoping to achieve new family first

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02/01/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jackie Slater had as close to perfect a career a professional athlete could have. A 20-year tenure in the NFL, all with one team. A retired jersey number. And of course, the greatest honor of them all -- a first-ballot induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The legendary former Rams offensive tackle left the game with his health intact and next to no regrets, save maybe for one. He never won a world championship.

"I think that was one of the biggest things that he kind of missed on his career," said Slater's son, Matthew. "I knew how much that meant to him, because he was a huge team guy."

Matthew Slater isn't going to ever come close to matching the individual accomplishments of his famous father, but the New England Patriots special teams ace and noted jack of all trades will have the opportunity to become the family's first member on a NFL title recipient when the AFC representatives for Super Bowl XLVI take the field at Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium on Feb. 5.

Like his son, Jackie Slater reached the NFL's ultimate game in his fourth season, when the then-Los Angeles Rams made it to Super Bowl XIV during the 1979 campaign. The heavy underdogs entered the fourth quarter with an 11-point lead on powerhouse Pittsburgh that day, before the star-studded Steelers scored two unanswered touchdowns in the final 12 minutes to rally for a 31-19 decision.

It would be his first and last time participating in a Super Bowl.

"Sixteen years and never went back," Matthew Slater remarked.

His father's story has given the younger Slater an added appreciation for the moment he'll be experiencing in Indianapolis. But then again, Matthew Slater has never taken much for granted as a football player.

The UCLA graduate was tabbed by the Patriots with the 153rd overall selection in the 2008 draft, hardly a position that would assure a rookie a roster spot and especially so on a team coming off an unprecedented 16-0 regular season and a Super Bowl appearance. Slater not only survived the cut, but the reserve wide receiver earned a regular role as a kick returner and contributor on coverage units and finished his initial year second on the club in special-teams tackles.

"You kind of have that sense of urgency from the day you come into the league, knowing that things are not going to be easy for you," he stated. "You've got to kind of come in and be willing to do dirty work; whatever it takes to stick around. I think a lot of guys on this team have that mentality, and that's why we've had the success that we've had."

Slater has enhanced his own value by taking on additional responsibilities in the years since. The 26-year-old even started three games at safety when an upsurge of injuries struck the Patriots' secondary earlier this season.

"My career has been about [taking] whatever anyone asks of me and then going out there to do it at the best of my ability," he said. "Playing hard and fast and doing whatever it takes to help this team have success."

That versatility, rigorous work ethic and ever-willing attitude hasn't gone unnoticed or unappreciated by Slater's coaches and teammates either, as he was voted New England's special teams captain prior to this 2011 season. Another prestigious honor would come his way a few months later, when he was chosen as the AFC's designated special teams player for the recently-held Pro Bowl.

That last distinction made the Slaters only the fifth father/son combination to be invited to the NFL's annual all-star event, an exclusive list that also contains such famous names as Manning (Archie, Peyton and Eli), Matthews (Clay Jr. and Clay III) and Winslow (Kellen and Kellen II).

Below is a capsule look at the special teams of the New England Patriots, with regular season statistics in parentheses:

Placekicker: Being the successor to Adam Vinatieri, who kicked the Patriots to two of their three Super Bowl victories under head coach Bill Belichick with last-second field goals, isn't the easiest of tasks, but Stephen Gostkowski has handled the challenge well. The 2006 draft choice owns a solid 84.4 percent career success rate on three-point attempts during his six years in New England and has made good on 13-of-15 tries in postseason play. One of only two NFL kickers to compile 500 points over his first four seasons, Gostkowski was a reliable 28-of-33 overall in 2011 and an impressive 10-of-13 from 40 yards out or more.

Punter: Zoltan Mesko doesn't get overworked as the punter on the league's third-highest scoring team, but the Romanian-born lefty has certainly come through when called upon. The second-year pro's 41.5 net average was the best in the AFC this season, while 24 of his 57 kicks landed inside the opponent's 20-yard line. He also set a New England record by averaging 46.5 gross yards per boot, breaking a mark that had stood since 1997.

Long-snapper: What had been a sore spot for the Patriots the past two years no longer seems to be concern thanks to the steady showing of rookie Danny Aiken, claimed off waivers from Buffalo during final preseason cuts. The 23-year-old has not had a bad snap in his 18 appearances while chipping in five tackles on special teams.

Punt Returners: The Patriots have a potential game-breaker here in Julian Edelman (10.6 avg.), with the backup slot receiver having averaged a noteworthy 12.6 yards per return over the past two seasons and scored two touchdowns over that span. One of them came from 72 yards out in a rout of Kansas City back in November.

Kickoff Returners: New England hasn't been as dynamic taking back kicks, placing a poor 29th out of 32 teams with a 21.4 average in the regular season. There have been problems during the playoffs as well, with primary returner Danny Woodhead (21.9 avg.) committing a costly fumble that Baltimore converted into a field goal in the AFC Championship.

Special Teams Defense: Slater (14 special teams tackles) is one of a host of standouts in an area where Belichick has always put a heavy emphasis upon. Reserve linebackers Tracy White (12 tackles) and Niko Koutouvides (7 tackles) have both carved out long careers toiling on kickoff and punt coverage teams, with safety Sergio Brown (11 tackles) and starting cornerback Kyle Arrington (11 tackles) also having made their mark on a unit that held opponents to a modest 21.6 yards per kick return (6th overall) and 8.5 on punts.

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Football Betting: Defensive Rookie of the Year Awards

Oddsmakers have released the odds for the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry has been made the opening favorite.

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Seattle took Curry with the fourth overall pick in April's NFL draft and plan on inserting him into its starting lineup right away. The Hawks traded linebacker Julian Peterson in the offseason, so Curry is expected to have a significant role in Seattle's defense next year and that's one of the primary reasons he is the favorite to win the NFL ROY Award.

Oddsmakers from online sportsbook MySportsbook.com have made Curry a 5/1 favorite to win this year's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. Given that he was the best defensive prospect in this year's draft and how he'll have plenty of opportunities to make plays in '09, Curry offers a ton of value at 5/1.

Another thing working for Curry is the position he plays. A linebacker has won the defensive ROY award six straight times and eight of the last nine years. Jerod Mayo, Patrick Willis, DeMeco Ryans, Shawne Merriman, Jonathan Vilma, Terrell Suggs, Kendrell Bell and Brian Urlacher were the most recent linebackers to take home the award.

Following Curry at 5/1 are Tyson Jackson (Chiefs) at 7/1, James Laurinaitas (Rams) at 8/1, Brian Orakpo (Redskins) at 10/1, Rey Maualuga (Bengals) at 10/1 and Jerry Peria (Falcons) at 10/1.

All the players mentioned above are expected to start for their respective teams, but Jackson and Peria are going to have a tough time being recognized on a national level given they're both defensive linemen. D-linemen rarely put up the numbers that it takes to win an individual award like the ROY.

A couple of players with some value are Clay Matthews (Packers) at 12/1 and Larry English (Chargers) at 15/1. Matthews is expected to start at outside linebacker in Green Bay's new 3-4 defense and could rack up a ton of tackles. English, who was an impressive player at Northern Illinois, is expected to be a situational pass rusher for the Chargers and could rack up a ton of sacks.

For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, see below. And for complete odds for the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, click the link provided.

2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award

Robert Ayers (DEN) 12/1

Ron Brace (NE) 25/1

Everette Brown (CAR) 16/1

Darius Butler (NE) 40/1

Patrick Chung (NE) 30/1

Aaron Curry (SEA) 5/1

Brian Cushing (HOU) 12/1

Vontae Davis (MIA) 30/1

Louis Delmas (DET) 30/1

Larry English (SD) 15/1

Evander Hood (PIT) 25/1

Tyson Jackson (KC) 7/1

Malcolm Jenkins (NO) 25/1

Paul Kruger (BAL) 50/1

James Laurinaitas (STL) 8/1

Sen'Derrick Marks (TEN) 20/1

Clay Matthews (GB) 12/1

Aaron Maybin (BUF) 15/1

Rey Maualuga (CIN) 10/1

Roy Miller (TB) 20/1

Michael Mitchell (OAK) 45/1

Fili Moala (IND) 30/1

Brian Orakpo (WAS) 10/1

Jerry Peria (ATL) 10/1

B J Raji (GB) 7/1

Clint Sintim (NYG) 35/1

Alphonso Smith (DEN) 40/1

David Verkune (CLE) 20/1

Jason Williams (DAL) 30/1

Field (Any Other Player) 6/1

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To visit this internet sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.

Huskers' Lucky hospitalized for undisclosed reason

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska running back Marlon Lucky was hospitalized Monday for undisclosed reasons after Lincoln police responded to a call at his residence.

The Nebraska athletic department said in a release Monday that Lucky was admitted Sunday night.

MySportsbook.com has the Cornhuskers listed at +2500 to win the BCS National Championship odds.

A nursing supervisor at the hospital said all questions about Lucky were being referred to the athletic department. The athletic department said there would be no further comment from the department or Lucky's family.

A Lincoln Police spokesman said officers responded to a call at Lucky's residence 11:30 p.m. Sunday. The spokesman said he didn't know Lucky's condition at the time he was taken to the hospital.

Lucky, from North Hollywood, Calif., started six games last season as a sophomore and was the team's second-leading rusher, with 728 yards and six touchdowns. He also caught 32 passes for 383 yards. He averaged 19.1 yards on eight kickoff returns.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.