Herb Slattery

Slattery was born on March 29, 1945, in Wilmington, Delaware.{{Cite web|url=https://profootballarchives.com/players/s/slat01600.html|website=Pro Football Archives|title=Herb Slattery Stats}} He attended Archmere Academy in Claymont, where he was a standout athlete.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-news/148972773/|newspaper=The Morning News|via=Newspapers.com|date=May 22, 1963|page=47|title=U. of D. Gets All-Stater|author=Katzman, Izzy|author-link=Izzy Katzman}} {{Open access}} He started all four years on the football team; as a freshman, he played fullback before switching to tackle as a sophomore, also being a top linebacker for his last two years. He was a two-time first-team all-state player and helped Archmere win the Independent Conference title three years in a row, with only two losses in his last three years.{{Cite web|url=https://desports.org/herb-slattery/|publisher=Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame|title=Herb Slattery}} He was also a Catholic All-American as selected by The New World newspaper.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/148973129/|newspaper=The Evening Journal|via=Newspapers.com|date=January 16, 1962|page=26|title=Archmere Boy All-America}} {{Open access}}

In addition to playing football, Slattery also participated in three other sports. He played for the Archmere basketball team and was all-conference while helping them win the conference championship as a senior. He played two years on the baseball team as a pitcher and shortstop, and then switched to track and field for two years. He was a top athlete in the shot put and set school records several times.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/delaware-county-daily-times/148973344/|newspaper=Delaware County Daily Times|via=Newspapers.com|date=April 30, 1963|page=16|title=Slattery Breaks Shot Record}} {{Open access}} Outside of Archmere, Slattery also spent two years with the Delaware Post No. 1 baseball team in the American Legion League.

Slattery was highly recruited and received offers from around 30 programs to play college football, including teams in the Big Ten Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference and Ivy League, as well as prominent independent school Notre Dame. He ultimately choose to stay local, committing to the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens.

After not playing as a freshman in 1963, Slattery won a starting role as a lineman to begin the 1964 season, the first sophomore to do so on the line for the team since 1954.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-news/148974847/|newspaper=The Morning News|via=Newspapers.com|date=September 24, 1964|page=38|title=Slattery to start for Hens}} {{Open access}} He remained a starter for his subsequent three years with the Fightin' Blue Hens and became one of the top linemen in school history; during his career, he was the only person for Delaware to start on both sides of the ball, being a standout tackle on offense and linebacker on defense.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-news/148975242/|newspaper=The Morning News|via=Newspapers.com|date=October 1, 1966|page=27|title=Blue Hen foe fears Slattery|author=Bodley, Hal}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news|url=https://www1.udel.edu/PR/Messenger/96/4/30.html|newspaper=The Messenger|title=Hall of Fame inducts four with UD ties|volume=5|number=4|publisher=University of Delaware: Office of Public Relations|date=April 30, 1996}} At times, he was also able to play defensive back.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EV557kOFNlcC&dq=herb+slattery+delaware&pg=PA191|title=The Great Delaware Sports Book|author=Gelbert, Doug|publisher=Manatee Books|page=191|date=1995|isbn=9780964442702}} He was the heaviest player in the starting lineup – as well as the second-tallest – but was still regarded as one of the fastest members of the line, as well as, according to several coaches, "probably the team's best lineman–both offensively and defensively."{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-news/148975434/|newspaper=The Morning News|via=Newspapers.com|date=December 6, 1966|page=36|title=Slattery All-America Pick|author=Bodley, Hal}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/delmarva-news/148975489/|newspaper=Delmarva News|via=Newspapers.com|date=September 8, 1966|page=17|title=Line Holds Key to Blue Hen's Success}} {{Open access}}

Slattery was selected twice as a first-team All-Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) player, as a junior and senior. He had his best year as a senior in 1966, helping the Fightin' Blue Hens win the conference championship. He was chosen the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division II Player of the Year, co-MAC Most Valuable Player and first-team Little All-American by the Associated Press (AP), as well as a first-team All-ECAC player and an honorable mention All-East player by the AP.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/34263826/|newspaper=The Evening Journal|via=Newspapers.com|date=December 2, 1966|page=43|title=Slattery Wants to Turn Pro|author=Fleischman, Bill|author-link=Bill Fleischman}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/148976342/|newspaper=The Evening Journal|via=Newspapers.com|date=November 30, 1966|page=41|agency=Associated Press|title=Slattery Makes All-ECAC Team}} {{Open access}} He was additionally named the co-winner of the Delaware Athlete of the Year award, along with Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Chris Short, as selected by the Wilmington Sportswriters Association.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/148976249/|newspaper=The News Journal|via=Newspapers.com|date=May 15, 1994|page=69|title=Slattery 'remembers' two-interception game|author=Ireland, Jack}} {{Open access}} In his collegiate career, he averaged 15 tackles per game. He also spent several years as a member of the school's track and field team, competing in weight events, although he skipped participating as a senior to focus solely on football.

Slattery was selected by the New York Jets of the American Football League (AFL) in the 11th round, with the 274th overall pick, of the 1967 NFL/AFL draft.{{Cite web|url=https://profootballarchives.com/drafts/1967aflnfldraft.html|website=Pro Football Archives|title=1967 AFL-NFL Draft}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-news/148976791/|newspaper=The Morning News|via=Newspapers.com|date=April 7, 1967|page=25|title=Slattery realizes toughest job ahead|author=Zabitka, Matt|author-link=Matt Zabitka}} {{Open access}} The Jets drafted him to play offensive guard.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/148976839/|newspaper=The Evening Journal|via=Newspapers.com|date=March 16, 1967|page=57|title=Jets Draft Slattery For Guard}} {{Open access}} He joined the team for training camp on July 14, but was later placed on injured reserve with a knee injury and was waived on July 31.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-news/148977013/|newspaper=The Morning News|via=Newspapers.com|date=August 1, 1967|page=35|title=Jets place Slattery on waivers}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-news/148977080/|newspaper=The Morning News|via=Newspapers.com|date=August 3, 1967|page=47|title=Clippers release 11}} {{Open access}} He later briefly joined the Waterbury Orbits of the Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL) in September, although he is not known to have played in any games.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-news/148977272/|newspaper=The Morning News|via=Newspapers.com|date=September 11, 1967|page=8|title=Cuff notes|author=Zabitka, Matt|author-link=Matt Zabitka}} {{Open access}} His season ended when he joined the Maryland National Guard in October, serving at Fort Dix in New Jersey.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-news/148977400/|newspaper=The Morning News|via=Newspapers.com|date=October 18, 1967|page=27|author=Zabitka, Matt|author-link=Matt Zabitka|title=Clayton punter draws raves}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-news/148977446/|newspaper=The Morning News|via=Newspapers.com|date=July 13, 1967|page=28|title=Slattery departs for Jets' camp}} {{Open access}}

Slattery was retired from football by the 1968 season, moving that year to Dover and working for the International Latex Corporation there.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/148977542/|newspaper=The Evening Journal|via=Newspapers.com|date=December 27, 1968|page=30|title=A La Carte|author=Cartwright, Al|author-link=Al Cartwright}} {{Open access}} He later moved to Voorhees Township, New Jersey, where he was the senior vice president of G. E. Capital Mortgage Services as of 1991.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/148977668/|newspaper=The News Journal|via=Newspapers.com|date=October 10, 1991|page=80|title=Slattery recalls football glory days|author=Zabitka, Matt|author-link=Matt Zabitka}} {{Open access}} By 1994, he held the same position for Kislak Mortgage Corp. in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He married and had three children.

Slattery was inducted into the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame in 1994. He was ranked 52nd on The New Journal's 2019 list of the 100 greatest University of Delaware football players.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/148793119/|newspaper=The News Journal|via=Newspapers.com|date=September 1, 2019|page=C1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/148793191/ C4], [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/148793553/ C5]|author=Tresolini, Kevin|author-link=Kevin Tresolini|title=UD's best football players of all time}} {{Open access}}

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Category:1945 births

Category:Living people

Category:Players of American football from Wilmington, Delaware

Category:Archmere Academy alumni

Category:American football offensive linemen

Category:American football linebackers

Category:Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football players

Category:New York Jets players

Category:Atlantic Coast Football League players

Category:Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens men's track and field athletes

Category:Track and field athletes from Delaware

Category:Maryland National Guard personnel