Believe it or not, cornerback Darius Slay joins the Steelers with his own connections to the organization’s past and present. And as he comes to Pittsburgh for his 13th NFL season, he’s looking to help with the team’s future, as well.
Slay is a former All-Pro cornerback who turned 34 on New Year’s Day. But back when he was selected 36th overall by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft, it was a legendary Steelers defensive back who helped him get acclimated to the league.
“Rod Woodson, [he] was my mentor coming in when I got drafted,” Slay said. “I stayed at his house for about a month and a half. I learned football from him. We he had the same agent, Eugene Parker — God rest his soul — and he introduced me to him.”
The Hall of Fame defensive back who played for the Steelers from 1987 to 1996 advised Slay on how to start his young career and the aspects of his game he needed to study to make it in the NFL.
“He told me to always be healthy, stay out of the tub,” Slay said of Woodson. “He taught me a lot of formations, route recognitions, and he had me on the track a lot.”
Slay didn’t get the most out of his rookie season, as he only started four games with five passes defensed and no interceptions. But when he returned for his second year, he developed a strong bond with the Lions’ new defensive coordinator — Teryl Austin.
“That’s the first person I met when I got back to Detroit,” Slay said of the Steelers defensive coordinator. “First thing he said was, ‘I love you as a corner. I watched when you came out and I made sure you were on your best.’ He pushed me every day. He made me do scout team reps against Calvin Johnson when I was on the first-team [defense].”
Austin had just come from the Ravens after three years as their secondary coach and got his first opportunity to be a defensive coordinator. Slay credits Austin’s tutelage as a major factor in his rise in the league. After recording two interceptions for three consecutive seasons, Slay earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2017 when he led the NFL with eight interceptions and 26 passes defensed.
“We watched film together every morning,” Slay continued on Austin. “He helped me become who I am today. I always looked at him as a father figure. His nickname for me since I’ve been here is, ‘Top 5.’ We’ve got a great relationship. He helped me get my first All-Pro.”
After seven years with the Lions, Slay joined the Eagles in 2020, where he became a staple of Philadelphia’s secondary. The 6-foot, 190-pound veteran from Brunswick, Ga., became a team leader and played a major role in the team’s Super Bowl run.
“It was a great feeling, man,” Slay said of winning the Super Bowl this past season. “I told my wife, ‘This is the closest thing to my kids.’ It’s another feeling with that confetti falling. I was on a high for about a good month and a half. Now, it’s kind of calmed down, and I’m ready for that again.”
With the Eagles set to release Slay after the season, he didn’t have much hesitation about where he wanted to go. His affinity for Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and the organization drew his interest both this year and two years ago, when the Eagles informed him they planned to release him after the 2022 season.
The Eagles rescinded that decision and retained Slay for two more years. But that didn’t change how he saw Tomlin and the Steelers organization — including some of their veteran cornerbacks such as Patrick Peterson and Joe Haden.
“I always speak highly of him,” Slay said of Tomlin. “Always been watching them from afar. A lot of guys I looked up to as players came here and always told me great things. Pat P., Joe Haden — he was one of my favorite corners growing up.”
This time, when Slay was actually going to be released by the Eagles, the Steelers were proactive in making sure he knew they were interested in him.
“It was one of my first choices,” Slay said. “Cam [Heyward], when he saw the report, he’s like, ‘Hey Slay, man, you know you should come over here.’ And I’m like, man, they reached out, and I’m with it. I’m thankful they did.”
Slay joins a young cornerback depth chart with third-year players in Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice Jr., who he looks forward to mentoring. It was a role he had just served with the Eagles by helping rookie cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean develop.
“That’s the best part of my job,” Slay said. “A guy did that for me, so I always have to return the favor, and that’s how I do it. I want them to be great. I want them to always be better than me. Any guy I ever had under me, my job is trying to make sure they [become] better than me as a player, a person, everything.”
That may be a vital reason the Steelers signed the former Mississippi State standout to a one-year, $10 million contract.
Slay joins DK Metcalf as free agent headliners so far for the Steelers. Two years ago, Slay had a physical altercation with Metcalf during a game between the Eagles and Seahawks (he also had one with Steelers tight end Darnell Washington this past season). But for the six-time Pro Bowl cornerback, that’s water under the bridge.
“It’s going to be competitive; I got into it with DK before,” Slay said. “It’s going to be fun, too.”
First Published: March 14, 2025, 9:30 a.m.
Updated: March 14, 2025, 9:42 a.m.
