EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- In a surprise to no one who has been around the New England Patriots since the 2008 season, special-teams captain Matthew Slater didn't dodge any questions from reporters following the unusual turn of events at the start of overtime in the team's 26-20 loss to the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium.

Slater, who was just named to his fifth straight Pro Bowl, knew what was coming.

That's why, before he had even put his shirt on while standing in front of his locker, he made himself available to answer questions from multiple waves of reporters. In all, he talked for at least 15 minutes, even conducting a one-on-one interview with one Boston-based television station.

Matthew Slater answered questions from waves of reporters after the game, for a stretch that lasted about 15 minutes pic.twitter.com/qCbZk67wvO

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) December 27, 2015

This sparked memories of Slater's rookie season in 2008 when he had a kickoff clang off his face mask and lost the football to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a 33-10 home defeat. After that game, Slater answered every question, facing into his locker as reporters crowded around him and his teammate at the time, Heath Evans, walked by and told him he didn't have to.

Slater, 30, has always been a stand-up player and he's also one of the team's emotional and spiritual leaders. After each victory, he breaks the team down in the locker room as part of a long-standing tradition that started with linebacker Tedy Bruschi.

One of the reasons Slater is so respected among his teammates is he always puts the team first, also serving as one of the club's player representatives. He has a long history around the game, as his father is Pro Football Hall of Famer Jackie Slater, the longtime Rams offensive lineman.

On Sunday, Slater explained what happened at the start of overtime multiple times, even detailing a discussion he had with coach Bill Belichick.

"I just asked him three or four times to make sure I'm not the guy that goes out there and [says], 'Yeah, we want to kick off.' So I double-checked three or four times and I think he was looking at me like, 'Are you concussed?' I kept asking him. But that's what we wanted to do," he said. "You never question Coach's decision-making. He's the best in the business. We trust him fully and that's what we did."

In turn, the Patriots trust Slater, knowing if there was one player who was equipped to handle the media rush after Sunday's game, it was him.