The Pittsburgh Steelers bolstered their cornerback room with the addition of CB Darius Slay, and in his introductory press conference on Thursday, he said that his excitement to come to Pittsburgh was aided by some current and former players. Slay shouted out Patrick Peterson, Joe Haden and Cameron Heyward for helping sell him on Pittsburgh as a place to play.
“A lot of players that I looked up to as players came here and just always told me great things. Pat [Peterson], Joe Haden was one of my favorite corners growing up when I was young…and Cam [Heyward], Cam did a great job,” Slay said via the team’s YouTube channel.
Slay also has a prior working relationship with Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, who served as his defensive coordinator in Detroit from 2014-17 when Slay was with the Lions. He said he’s excited to work with Austin for a second time.
“Gonna be great man. I got him at a young age, second year in the league, and the first person that I had met when I came back to Detroit,” Slay said. “We got a great, great relationship. He helped me get my first All-Pro, so always looking forward to working with him.”
Slay’s previous experience with Austin should help him assimilate into Pittsburgh’s defense. And as a veteran with 12 years in the league, there shouldn’t be too big of a learning curve for Slay anyway, even with joining a new team. But the prior experience with Austin certainly helps and likely played a factor in joining the Steelers.
Like Slay, both Haden and Peterson came to the Steelers late in their careers. It’s not always easy to come to a new team in the twilight of your career and make an impact, but both Haden and Peterson were starters for the Steelers and among their top cornerbacks. Slay is expected to start and play a key role for the Steelers. He can lean on what Haden and Peterson told him about playing for the Steelers and under Tomlin, while also having prior knowledge of what Austin expects to help him excel in Pittsburgh.
Both Darius Slay and recent signing Kenneth Gainwell are coming off a Super Bowl win with the Philadelphia Eagles. That winning pedigree should play well for a Steelers team that hasn’t done enough winning lately. Both know what it takes to win on the biggest stage, and being a veteran, Slay can be a leader and mentor despite being new to the team. The fact that he has a relationship with guys like Heyward, Peterson and Haden helps. Hopefully, Slay can contribute to Pittsburgh the same way Haden did.
