Don't be mistaken: Darius Slay was brought to Pittsburgh because he can still play.
But, that doesn't mean he doesn't embrace the idea of being a mentor to the younger cornerbacks, such as Joey Porter Jr. or Cory Trice Jr.
"It's going to be great, man. I love that. That's the best part of my job," Slay said Thursday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. "I love meeting new people. Some people don't like meeting folks. I love meeting folks. I love having extended family because I like just to meet people. I'm very outgoing, and that's one of the biggest roles I like to take, just helping mentor younger guys because guys did that for me, so I've got to return the favor for me in my way, and that's how I do it.I do it with genuine love, not by force. It's because I want them to be great. I want them to always be better than me. Every guy I ever had under me, my job is to make sure they'd be better than me, as a player, person, everything."
One of the reasons Slay embraces that role is because of Teryl Austin, who coached him for four years as defensive coordinator in Detroit. In coming to Pittsburgh, Slay is reunited with Austin, something that could help him sustain his high level of play at age 34:
"It's going to be great," Slay said. "I got him at a young age, second year in the league, and that's the first person that I had met when I got to -- right when I came back to Detroit, and the first thing he said was like, 'I love you as a corner, I watched you when you came out, and I'm going to make sure you're one of the best,' and he pushed me every day. He made me do scout team reps with Calvin Johnson when I was on first team D. He made sure I got to where I needed to be. We watched film together every morning. He helped me become who I am today, and I always looked at him as a father figure because we stayed in contact even after he left Detroit, he went to the Saints and he was talking and then he come here, his nickname for me since he's been here has been 'Top 5.' Every time he sees me, 'Top 5, Top 5.' We've got a great relationship. He helped me get my first All-Pro. I'm always looking forward to working with him."
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THE ASYLUM
Chris Halicke
11:29 pm - 03.13.2025South SideSlay embraces mentor role
Don't be mistaken: Darius Slay was brought to Pittsburgh because he can still play.
But, that doesn't mean he doesn't embrace the idea of being a mentor to the younger cornerbacks, such as Joey Porter Jr. or Cory Trice Jr.
"It's going to be great, man. I love that. That's the best part of my job," Slay said Thursday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. "I love meeting new people. Some people don't like meeting folks. I love meeting folks. I love having extended family because I like just to meet people. I'm very outgoing, and that's one of the biggest roles I like to take, just helping mentor younger guys because guys did that for me, so I've got to return the favor for me in my way, and that's how I do it.I do it with genuine love, not by force. It's because I want them to be great. I want them to always be better than me. Every guy I ever had under me, my job is to make sure they'd be better than me, as a player, person, everything."
One of the reasons Slay embraces that role is because of Teryl Austin, who coached him for four years as defensive coordinator in Detroit. In coming to Pittsburgh, Slay is reunited with Austin, something that could help him sustain his high level of play at age 34:
"It's going to be great," Slay said. "I got him at a young age, second year in the league, and that's the first person that I had met when I got to -- right when I came back to Detroit, and the first thing he said was like, 'I love you as a corner, I watched you when you came out, and I'm going to make sure you're one of the best,' and he pushed me every day. He made me do scout team reps with Calvin Johnson when I was on first team D. He made sure I got to where I needed to be. We watched film together every morning. He helped me become who I am today, and I always looked at him as a father figure because we stayed in contact even after he left Detroit, he went to the Saints and he was talking and then he come here, his nickname for me since he's been here has been 'Top 5.' Every time he sees me, 'Top 5, Top 5.' We've got a great relationship. He helped me get my first All-Pro. I'm always looking forward to working with him."
For Slay's full press conference ...
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