FOXBORO, Mass. — Austin Carr hopes to learn from the likes of Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola this summer. But for now, the undrafted rookie is taking his cues from another New England Patriots wide receiver.
“Matt Slater’s been really helpful for me even in the past week, and connecting with him on and off the field has been really helpful,” Carr said Tuesday in his first meeting with New England reporters.
That Carr, a wide receiver out of Northwestern, has leaned on Slater for guidance is no surprise. In addition to being arguably the NFL’s best special teams player, the 31-year-old Slater also is immensely respected within the Patriots’ locker room, having served as a team captain in each of the last six seasons.
“I think he was just someone who especially made himself available to us,” Carr said. “He was a guy that was mentioned in a lot of meetings beforehand as someone who plays hard and ought to be looked up to. I mean, he’s been here for a while. So knowing that and then kind of interacting with him in passing, he’s someone who wanted to intentionally make himself available to me as a rookie.
“He and I share the same faith background, as well, and are part of the Christian community, so he’s going to help me and my fiancée get embedded into that in the coming months.”
As is the case with any NFL rookie, the last month has been a whirlwind for Carr, who signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent after mulling offers from four other teams. A former walk-on who blossomed into the Big Ten’s most productive receiver last season, he said New England’s winning culture was a major selling point for him.
“I can tell why the Patriots win,” Carr said. “Strong leadership, team atmosphere. It’s a culture that — I haven’t been to the other 31 teams, but seeing the strong leadership from the veterans and then also the coaches, it’s a united front, and that obviously helps on the field.”
Thumbnail photo via Patrick Gorski/USA TODAY Sports Images
