Eagles "Dad" Embraces Adversity Faced Early In Career

In a young Eagles secondary, he is a leader with a story af adversity head coach Nick Sirianni recently used as a teaching took with team headed for season's homestretch.

Nov 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles safety Reed Blankenship (32) celebrates his interception with safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (8) and cornerback Darius Slay Jr. (2) against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA – Slay makes no effort to hide from his past or run from it. It’s just the opposite for the Eagles cornerback who will make sure to correct you if you ever call him by his first name, Darius, preferring just Slay, sort of like the Boss.

Slay is not Springsteen, but he’s the boss of a young secondary that starts two rookies in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.

He calls them “my children.”

When asked if they call him dad, DeJean laughed, and said, “No.”

DeJean added: “I don’t think enough people are talking about him, how well he’s playing, especially at 33. I don’t want to throw a shot at him (regarding his age), but he’s playing at a high level, which is great to see, it’s great for our defense, so it’s awesome to see his longevity, the way he takes care of himself, to be able to play this long in the league.”

The Eagles’ secondary will face a big test on Sunday Night Football in L.A. with Rams receivers Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. They have passed previous tests with flying colors against the Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase, the Buccaneers’ Mike Evans, the Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb, and the Giants’ Malik Nabers, to name a few.

Nacua ad Kupp are healthy at the same time and can be a deadly duo. In just five games this season, Nacua has 28 catches for 373 yards (13.3 yards per catch) and one touchdown. Kupp has played just six games but has 47 receptions for 488 yards (10.8 ypc) and four TDs.

"I get up for every matchup I got them guys, they're very, very much respected in this league, two of the best right now just as a combo,” said Slay. “They do real good things together, man. Puka, he been playing outstanding when he came back. Kupp doing the same way. I know Staff, you know, so I know the guy getting them the ball, so it's always a great challenge going against them guys.”

Eagles defenders from left to right: Tarron Jackson, Brandon Graham, Darius Slay, and Jordan Davis / Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

It's at the point in the season, with seven games left, that Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni is amping up the motivational ploys, and Slay’s adversity story resonates. Slay was benched twice in his rookie season but has gone on to a brilliant career that has seen him corral 28 career interceptions in a dozen seasons.

“You have to overcome adversity through your career,” said Sirianni. “I talk to Slay quite a bit, and we just talked about how he's had to overcome early adversity in his career. And now he's on year 12. So, if bad things happen and you can't overcome them, maybe you don't deserve to be in year 12, and he is.”

Sirianni used Slay as a teaching tool to a group that, at 8-2 and winners of six in a row, is headed to the home stretch, a place they went last year with a 10-1 record only to come up lame.

Sirianni is known for using players such as Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Roger Federer to name a few to drive home a point but he loves it when he can use one of his own players because then they can actually talk to Slay, pick his brain, and ask him questions.

“It's so much better when you're able to put your own guys up there, and then that can lead to questions that the other guys have for Slay,” said the coach. “So, when we were able to do that and take the progression of his first year when he was wearing number 30 through everything, it was really an awesome story about how he's persevered and why he is where he is. That's what you want to accomplish for the entire team.”

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