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Slay Making Strides, Says Being Around 'Best Vets Ever' Has Helped

By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak

ALLEN PARK (CBS DETROIT) - Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay adopted his trademark "finger wave," as he calls it, from longtime NBA star Dikembe Mutombo. Upon discussing the origin of his "trash talk in a sign language kind of way," Slay does not mention Mutumbo's basketball career.

He references the Geico commercials.

"I know you all have seen it," Slay said, then imitated Mutombo's accent. "'No, no, no, not in my house.'"

Slay said he wanted to start the finger wave as a rookie but waited until this season to implement it.

"I started this year with it, just spicing my game up a little bit because I knew I was coming in to dominate and make plays," Slay said with a smile.

Fellow cornerback Rashean Mathis, a 12-year veteran whom Slay jokingly calls "Old Man Shean" and who invited Slay to his home for Thanksgiving, said he does not mind Slay's move.

"This generation of players now, the generation that has come in, they might be a little more boastful than we were, but that's the world, period," Mathis said. "Everything is on social media, so the more likes you get of your personality – people love that type of stuff. I don't disapprove of it.

"I know it's part of his personality," Mathis added. "He's not doing it to disrespect anyone, but that lets me know that he's glued into the game, that he trusts in his preparation that week. So when I see him doing that, I know I have a confident guy on my left."

Slay has never lacked confidence. This season, however, his play has more closely matched his swagger.

Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall talked trash to Slay during the Thanksgiving Day game, saying the cornerback was too little and too young to be covering him.

Marshall caught six of 11 balls thrown his way that game and recorded 42 receiving yards. Pro Football Focus gave him a rating of -3.1 for the game and gave Slay a rating of 3.9.

At this time last season, PFF ranked Slay 101st among cornerbacks with a rating of -7.7.  Now the site ranks Slay 10th at his position with a rating of 8.5.

Slay said confidence has made the biggest difference for him. As a rookie, it seemed as if the ball came at him at 90 miles an hour. Now, one year later, it feels more like 10 miles an hour.

Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said the next step for Slay will be taking advantage of opportunities for interceptions. Slay believes he is not too far from taking that step.

"Just trying to learn more route combinations so I can make it easier on myself so I can jump some," Slay said. "Right now I'm just playing ball ... I need to pick these things, though. [Safety Glover Quin's] taking all my picks. I'm trying to pick these things. It isn't really all about the picks. I'm just out there making plays and trying to help the defense.

"The interceptions are going to come," Slay added. "I'm grateful just to be here to make an attempt for an interception. They're going to come eventually."

Slay credits the veterans around him - Mathis and safeties Glover Quin and James Ihedigbo - for much of his progress. They offer advice on everything, on the field and away from the field, and Slay has been quick to listen, which Austin noted that not all young players do. Slay said, however, that he has always been that way.

"I'm looking for information," Slay said. "That's the only way you get smarter. That's like, just say you're reading a book about science or something. You can't know science until you read the book about science, just like the boys telling me a story, so I'm just listening.

"Just learning the game, competing, knowing these routes, learning what's the weakness of the defense, just learning where the offense can attack us at, just pointing out our weaknesses so we can make them better, they taught me a lot," Slay continued, "and reading quarterbacks."

Between them, Mathis, Quin and Ihedigbo have 25 years of experience, and all have played well this season, helping elevate the Detroit defense to the best in the NFL in terms of points allowed.

Slay knows how good he has it to be surrounded by such a group.

"I've got probably the best vets ever," Slay said. "It can't get any better than this – except for probably Fred Smoot. [He] probably had it better than me when he was in Washington where you had Deion [Sanders], [Darrell] Green, and you had Champ [Bailey], and all them boys. That's probably the better room that he probably had, but my room's probably the second-best of them. Other than that, yeah, I have the second-best room ever."

Mathis appreciates Slay's willingness to learn, and he spoke to the bond the duo have developed. Their friendship has grown to include their families. Slay said his son calls Mathis "Mr. Shean," and Mathis's son calls Slay "Mr. Slay."

"It's more than just locker room talk," Mathis said. "I do see him as a younger brother. I've grown to love him, to love him as a teammate, as a player, respect him as a man. He has a son as well, so ... my son and his son have played together. It's a respect level that comes with it, and it has to show on his part and my part, growth, that we're allowing to let each other into our families.

"I'm his biggest fan, regardless of whether he knows it or not," Mathis added. "I know I've said it before, but at the end of the day, a few years from now, I want to be sitting on the couch or at the golf course after my 18 and looking at the tube and say, 'Okay, he's still doing his thing.'"

New York Giants v Detroit Lions
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 08: Darius Slay #23 of the Detroit Lions reacts after defending a second quarter pass against the New York Giants at Ford Field on September 8, 2014 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
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