Slay Feeling Fine After Leaving Practice, Talks About Johnny Manziel
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
ALLEN PARK (CBS DETROIT) - It caused a bit of a scare Monday when projected starting cornerback Darius Slay left practice accompanied by a trainer. Head coach Jim Caldwell explained after practice that Slay is fine, however, and the coach even joked about the situation that led to Slay's brief departure.
"What actually happened was he had a little problem in a one-on-one situation," Caldwell said. "Golden Tate went up for a ball, and came down kind of on his neck. I told him that Golden has a way of being a pain in the neck once in a while. We had a little issue there briefly, but he will be fine. He will be back at practice tomorrow."
Slay sconfident aaid the offseason has been a productive one for him. He enters this year more mature, more nd more developed, he said, so he expects to eliminate the inconsistency that plagued him last season. Slay looks forward to being able to show off those attributes in Saturday's preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, who of course bring with them the Johnny Manziel sideshow.
Slay, who went to Mississippi State, played against Texas A&M in his college days and said he talked some trash with Manziel, the 21-year-old who has been the offseason's biggest story thanks to his electric playmaking and his off-field escapades.
"I told him he can't throw it my way," Slay said. "He's a pretty cool dude, though. He's cool. We were just out there playing and competing with each other during the game.
"He's Johnny Football, so he's a pretty talented guy," Slay added. "Back then, he was a pretty exciting player. Can't take nothing from him. He did win the Heisman. He's a pretty good player."
With contact so limited in practices due to injury risk, Slay is looking forward to getting to play full-out against the Browns.
"I'm ready to show off a lot of stuff," Slay said. "Just working with technique, tackling ... It's going to feel good to get back in this game."
