Darius Slay: Lions 2014 Team 'Played for Each Other'

Darius Slay feels accepted by the Philadelphia Eagles.

The previous Detroit Lions coaching regime and front office did not ever really understand what cornerback Darius Slay was all about. 

Former Lions head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn were not enamored with outspoken players or those who did not lead the way they felt the locker room should be governed. 

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"If I’m being honest, me and the coach didn’t always see eye to eye on the type of leader I am," Slay explained, via The Players Tribune. "He had a different vision. I think it’s a generational thing. Some coaches want the leaders on the team to be gut-checking everybody in the room, like a Lawrence Taylor or a Ray Lewis. Coaches will give you speeches all day about how old-school players did this, said that, and now he’s in the Hall of Fame, da da da. 

"O.K., that’s cool. But, people don’t always have to lead that way. I can’t fake it. I can only be Slay. So, we never connected on that, and I ended up getting traded," Slay continued. "That’s just the business. But, I came to Philly with the same mindset: I’m gonna be Slay, no matter what. And, the thing about this team, man, they accepted me off the bat."

Ahead of the NFC Championship Game, Detroit's former defensive back sees the similarities between the Eagles' current roster and the roster that comprised the Lions' 2014 squad. 

Recall, the 2014 Lions finished the regular season with a record of 11-5. Unfortunately, controversial calls marred their playoff game on the road against the Cowboys. 

The Lions were defeated in the wild card round, 24-20. 

"I don’t like to compare teams, but you understand the feeling of a team. My 2014 team in Detroit, when we went 11–5, we had a lot of talent," Slay writes. "We had a good mixture. Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley, Ziggy Ansah, myself, Calvin Johnson, Glover Quin, DeAndre Levy, Tulloch. I had a lot of guys, professional guys, who were at the top of their game and who played for each other. Then I got to this Eagles team, and we have the same type of caliber players. We have Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Sweat, Reddick. And then you have BG, Kyzir, and T.J. Then you have myself at corner, and James Bradberry. You start to think, 'O.K., that team went 11–5 …. Imagine what this team could do.'"