Darius Slay is an American football player who currently plays for the Philadelphia Eagles franchise in the NFL as a cornerback. Slay has been quite athletic from his childhood days and was even a standout basketball as well as track and field player along with gridiron football.
Slay was born in Brunswick, Georgia on January 1, 1991, and went to Brunswick High School where he was part of the school’s football team. In high school, he played both on offense as well as defense doubling as a running back and a defensive back. Slay was quite effective on both sides of the ball.
Growing up in Brunswick, life wasn’t too easy for Slay as he didn’t have much aim in life. He used to be around his friends and even went to jail a week before graduating. However, what changed his life was the fact that he had become a father at an early age and he wanted to be a better person for his son. That goal eventually landed him in the NFL.
Darius Slay College
Slay started off his college career by attending Itawamba Community College (ICC) in Mississippi for the 2009 and 2010 academic years. Slay had two good years recording 41 and 32 tackles in 5 and 9 games respectively. He also added a sack and a couple of fumbles in his two years at ICC.
After his sophomore year, Slay transferred to Mississippi State University and played for the Mississippi State Bulldogs football team for two more years. He finished his junior and senior years of college with 64 tackles, 6 interceptions, and a couple of touchdowns before entering the 2013 NFL Draft.
Several scouts and draft experts felt Slay would be selected in the second or third round of the draft. He completed all the drills at the NFL Combine and also took part in Mississippi State's pro day.
Darius Slay with the Lions
Slay began his professional career in the NFL in 2013 after the Detroit Lions selected him in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft with overall pick number 36. He had a decent outing with the Lions earning his way into the team from his rookie season. It took him a couple of seasons to establish himself as a legitimate starter on the team, but slowly and steadily he became the team’s number one corner.
Darius Slay with the Eagles
After a seven-year stint with the Lions, Slay was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles before the start of the 2020 NFL season. In his four years with the Eagles, he has remained consistent with his play on the defensive side of the ball.
With the Eagles, he would reach his first Super Bowl the previous year as the Eagles played the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. Unfortunately, though, he came out on the losing side. Before the start of the 2023 NFL season, Slay signed a contract extension with the Eagles for two more years.
FAQs
While Darius was in college at Mississippi State, his coach kept referring to him as Big Play Slay telling him that he would make a big play.
Darius Slay has been married to Jennifer Slay since 2018.
Darius Slay is currently a father of four. He has two sons from a previous relationship, one daughter with wife Jennifer Slay, and is also raising his wife’s son from another relationship.
Darius Slay is 32 years old as of December 2023. He was born on January 1, 1991.
Darius Slay has been selected to the Pro Bowl 5 times till 2023.
