Super Bowl bound Darius Slay reveals how Matt Patricia's disrespect fuels him to this day
Darius Slay began his NFL career with the Detroit Lions before getting traded to the Philadelphia Eagles prior to the start of the 2020 season. As a part of the trade, the Eagles gave Slay a massive three-year contract extension worth $50 million. The deal made him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL at the time, something the Lions were unwilling to commit to.
Now in his third year with the Eagles, Darius Slay is an extremely important piece of their dominant defense. They are one of the best units in the NFL and Slay is a big reason for it. He has even been selected to the Pro Bowl.
As the Eagles are on their way to Super Bowl LVII to take on the Kansas City Chiefs, Slay recently reflected on his time with the Lions.
The 32-year-old specifically recalled a conversation he once had with Matt Patricia, the Lions' former head coach. Slay believes that Patricia didn't believe in him enough and he has used that as fuel to become one of the top coverage cornerbacks in the entire NFL.
"He basically just said, 'You are not in that category yet.' At that time, I only had one Pro Bowl but now, I'm at five. I don’t wish bad on him, but as a man, me and him just don’t get along."
#Eagles CB Darius Slay is still fueled by disrespect from ex-#Lions coach Matt Patricia:
"He basically just said, 'You are not in that category yet'", "At that time, I only had 1 Pro Bowl but now I'm at 5." "I don’t wish bad on him, but as a man, me and him just don’t get along" https://t.co/FB410arv1Y
Matt Patricia spent three years as the Lions' head coach, from the 2018 to 2020 NFL seasons. He and Darius Slay each left the Lions during the same 2020 NFL offseason.
While Slay has elevated his game in recent years, Patricia hasn't landed a head coaching job since then. He currently works for the New England Patriots on Bill Belichick's staff.
Darius Slay's late-blooming NFL career
Darius Slay was selected by the Detroit Lions with the 36th overall pick in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. After a standout college football career with the Mississippi State Bulldogs, he got off to a slow start in his NFL career.
The cornerback failed to record an interception during his rookie season and defended just five passes in a limited defensive role.
Slay became a full-time starting cornerback for the Lions during his second season. He became a consistent contributor to their defense, recording two interceptions in each of the next three seasons. The 2017 NFL season was truly his breakout year. In his fifth season in the NFL, he was one of the top cornerbacks in the entire NFL.
Slay's breakout 2017 season included leading the NFL with eight interceptions and 26 defended passes. He earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl and was also selected as a first-team All-Pro. He has now been selected to the Pro Bowl in five of the last six seasons, including each of his last two with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Since being traded in 2020, Darius Slay has elevated himself to one of the top lockdown cornerbacks in the NFL. He is among the overall leaders of the Eagles' defense set to appear in Super Bowl LVII.