A mainstay with the Fordham Cross Country and Track programs in the early 1960's, Bill Slater set numerous school records and was a member of numerous skilled relays team before having his career curtailed by injury.
 
As a freshman in 1960-61, Slater was undefeated with the freshman cross country team, setting ten course records and winning the Metropolitan IC4A championship. On the track that year, he was a member of school record indoor and outdoor medley relay teams and the mile relay and was named the freshman team Most Valuable Player.
 
The following year Slater ran with the varsity, earning MVP honors with the cross country team and setting the sophomore school records for all cross country courses. He also was a member of the second place IC4A Championship indoor two mile relay.
 
As a junior, Slater again ran with the two mile relay, a squad that recorded the fourth fastest indoor time in world up to 1963. He was also a member of the NYAC Games record-setting relay and the school-record setting distance medley relay. However, he missed part of the season due to injury.
 
Unable to regain his health, Slater missed most of his senior year with injuries. The injuries related to severe third degree burns he suffered on over 80% of both legs in 1947 which left Slater with no sweat glands in affected areas. This would cause his legs to swell when practicing and competing, causing severe pain. However, he never missed a practice until his junior year. But because of the severity of his burns, his ligaments and tendons atrophied, causing increasing muscle and joint tightening and spinal misalignment resulting in left leg instability and debilitating back pain