CHRIS SLADE
Patriots Linebacker ('93-'00)
The Super Bowl winning defenses of the early 2000's were led by a core group of players that had been young guns on the 1996 AFC Championship team. Bruschi. Law. McGinnest. Household names and legends in the Patriot community. The one mainstay on those defenses who didn't get to stick around for the glory days was Slade. With the success of the aforementioned names, it's easy to forget just how good Slade was. The second round pick (31st overall) in the Bledsoe draft, the monstrous 6'5'' 250 lb. linebacker was All-Pro and a Pro Bowler in 1997. He compiled 51 sacks in his 8 year stay in Foxboro, and forced an unreal 16 fumbles in that time frame. Slade is now a sideline reporter for the University of Virginia broadcast team.
Ahhhh yes... the days of Willie #55 and CSlade #53 meeting in the backfield and destroying the poor SOB trying throw the dam ball..... That was fun! #53 deserved to get a ring, and if it weren't for Farve, White, and Howard he would have.
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