Getty Darius Slay during a game in New York.
Darius Slay was on the draft board in 2013 when the Eagles were making their selection. Instead, the team opted for Zach Ertz and Slay landed in Detroit. Fate would have to wait a few years.
The cornerback really thought he was going to Philadelphia and had several conversations with the organization throughout the draft process. The Eagles ultimately decided Ertz was the better fit and used their second-round pick (35th overall) on the tight end. One pick later, Slay was chartering a course for Detroit after then-Lions head coach Jim Schwartz used the 36th overall pick on the playmaker from Mississippi State.
Slay recounted the whole ordeal during a conference call with reporters on Thursday afternoon, including his excitement over finally being in the Eagles’ nest. Better yet, the 29-year-old gets a family reunion with the man who drafted him since Schwartz is the Eagles’ defensive coordinator. Destiny comes in many forms.
“I’m a Philadelphia Eagle and it feels great,” Slay said.
Darius Slay says he talked to the #Eagles the night before the 2013 draft. They took Zach Ertz at No. 35 so #Lions took Slay at 36. “The Lions called me within 5 seconds” after Eagles took Ertz.
— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) April 2, 2020
Slay was acquired in a trade from Detroit on March 19 and the Eagles immediately lined his pockets with dough. While the contract is a very team-friendly one, it still makes Slay the highest-paid cornerback in football. He’s ready to reward their generosity by taking on the role of shutdown cornerback. Slay confirmed that he expects to be lined up on the opposition’s top receiver week in and week out.
He’s not afraid to switch to different sides of the field to ensure he’s always matched up against the best in the game. Whether it’s Amari Cooper, Odell Beckham, Devante Adams, Michael Thomas or DeAndre Hopkins — five elite receivers the Eagles will see in 2020 — Slay wants “the game on me.”
All 19 CAREER INTs from new @eagles CB Darius Slay!
This is why they call him @_bigplayslay23. 👇🦅
Slay Channels Rocky: ‘Keep fighting. That’s what I do’
Darius Slay has proved to be quite the showman over his seven-year career. He’s often seen jarring with opposing receivers on the field while chirping accolades about himself on social media. One of the first things he did upon learning he had been traded to Philadelphia was to announce a number change.
Slay, a long-time admirer of Kobe Bryant, will wear No. 24 for the Eagles as a token of respect to the basketball legend. Bryant was a Philly native who rooted hard for his hometown Eagles. Slay recalled meeting the Lakers star at a Lakers-Pistons game in Detroit a few years back.
“He [Bryant] walked past all the reporters, everybody,” Slay said, “and came directly to me and said, ‘What’s up Slay? I love your game, man.’ I was surprised he even knew me.”
Slay intends to use Bryant’s famed “Mamba Mentality” on the football field this year while patrolling the Eagles’ secondary. He wants — no, he demands — the challenge of being a true shutdown cornerback. He understands you are going to get beat once in a while. The hard part is getting back up and continuing to fight. It’s something Slay learned from another one of Philly’s patron saints, Rocky Balboa.
“I’m a very humble guy, grateful for everything that I have, but I’m also confident as a football player and I think this is going to be a great fit,” Slay told Eagles Insider Dave Spadaro. “You aren’t going to win every time out there. You’re going to get beat. But you have to just come back and keep fighting, and that’s what I do.”
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