 He was voted the National Football League Players Association NFC Offensive Lineman of the Year four times—1983, 1986, 1987, and 1989—and was the Athletes in Action/Bart Starr Award winner after the 1995 season.Slater played in 259 games from 1976 to 1995, a then-record for offensive lineman (broken by Bruce Matthews in the 1999 season).He was the first player to play 20 seasons for one team, later matched by Washington Redskins cornerback Darrell Green, Detroit Lions kicker Jason Hanson, and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, and third all-time.