New Steelers CB Darius Slay never got to taste a Super Bowl victory until his 12th season, just last year. He came into the NFL in 2013, a second-round pick of the Detroit Lions, and is now 34 years old. I’m sure he already knows or has heard that it’s been even longer for the Steelers. They last won a Super Bowl in 2008, when he was in high school.
Slay’s goal in signing with the Steelers is to recapture that feeling of winning. He talked about the elation that comes with it during his introductory press conference and how he wants more.
“It was a great feeling,” Darius Slay told Steelers beat writers about winning the Super Bowl. He added, “I told my wife that this is the closest thing to my kids. I love all my kids, my family, and everything, but man, it’s a whole ‘nother feeling with that confetti falling on you. I was on my high horse for about a good month and a half. Now it’s kind of calmed down, but I’m ready to feel that again, though.”
While the Steelers might not be the obvious destination to pursue a Super Bowl trophy right now, they do have some good salesmen on their side. Mike Tomlin can always attract players’ attention, but that can’t be enough.
Of course, the Eagles didn’t give him much choice. They released Slay, and the Steelers signed him to a one-year, $10 million deal. I’m not sure how many other teams are willing to give a 34-year-old cornerback that kind of money, even Slay.
A high second-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, Darius Slay earned the nickname “Big Play” throughout his career. With 28 interceptions and a league-high 160 career passes defensed, he knows his way around the football. A six-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro, he is the latest signing by the Steelers of past pedigree.
Just because Slay was great in the past and is now old doesn’t mean that he is washed up, though. Even without an interception last season, he didn’t fall off a cliff. Many believe the Steelers are getting a high-floor guy, even if his ceiling is lower than in the past.
As a veteran, Slay also sees it as his job to pass on his knowledge to the younger players, and in the case of the Steelers, that chiefly means Joey Porter Jr. As a rookie, Porter had Patrick Peterson to lean on. Last year, it was Donte Jackson, and now it’s Slay. That’s not a bad run of mentors, but it’s time for him to step up.
