Darius Slay's Mount Rushmore Missing One Item
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PHILADELPHIA – There’s one thing missing from Darius Slay’s collection of souvenirs during his 10 years in the NFL.
He has what he calls a “pick-ball” from Tom Brady and another from Drew Brees. To complete the trifecta, he wants one from Aaron Rodgers.
“He’s the only one I’m missing,” said the Eagles veteran cornerback and team captain at his locker on Friday afternoon. “I hope he blesses me with one, but it’s going to be too hard. I know how he is, but if I do, he’s going on my Mount Rushmore.”
Slay will get the chance to do it on Sunday night when Rodgers and the Packers visit Lincoln Financial Field (8:15 p.m./NBC).
“I’ve seen him for so long, but it’s still new because he does something new and special every year,” said Slay. “He’s an animal, man. Besides Super Bowls, he’s probably one of the greatest ever at the quarterback position. Of course, I’m going with the GOAT himself, Tom Brady.”
Brady may be the GOAT but Slay said his favorite quarterback of all time is Peyton Manning, whose career was just about over when Slay entered the league in 2013.
“I love A-Rod,” he said, “but Peyton Manning is the dude. I wish I would’ve caught one of his. I would cry. I would’ve been emotional that day.”
He then joked: “Not really too emotional. Gotta be a man. I got boys. I can’t be sad in front of my boys. I have to show my manhood.”
Slay picked Brady in a 2018 game when Brady was still with the patriots and Slay with the Lions. He picked Brees in 2015.
He has 26 in his career, including three this season, two from Minnesota's Kirk Cousins and one from Dallas’ Cooper Rush. He gave all three away during those games, including to Sixers guard James Harden.
“Kirk, I got Kirk three times,” he said. “I got a Kirk ball, which is always a good thing.”
In 15 career games against Rodgers, however, he’s never gotten one.
Rodgers has an uncharacteristic seven picks this season, the most he’s had since 2016 when he also threw seven. His career-high is 13 thrown in 2008.
Nevertheless, Slay knows how difficult t can be to pick off The Green Bay QB.
“It’s hard,” he said. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you, I know how hard it is. It’s so dam hard. I know he’s just not going to throw it to me. He gave me a game jersey, so I might just put the game jersey in place of that (pick-ball on his Mount Rushmore) in case I don’t get it.
“It’s hard to get them. He won’t just throw it to me. I wish he would. Some people just throw it to me. He doesn’t want to throw it to me. We’ll see though.”
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
