Darius Slay Upset Lions Fans Jeered Matthew Stafford
Detroit Lions fans did not greet former quarterback Matthew Stafford with a warm welcome in his first game back at Ford Field.
From his first steps onto the field, he was greeted with a chorus of boo's. Given the heightened intensity of the playoff matchup, Detroit's first at home in 30 years, he drew the ire of the 66,367 fans.
Former Lion Darius Slay, who was teammates with Stafford in Detroit from 2013-2019, weighed in on the fans' decision to boo their former franchise quarterback.
"Oh, man, I'm so happy for the Lions, man. I'm glad what they're doing, they're going crazy over there, playing good, playing good football," Slay told a group of reporters. "Excited for them man, the city deserves that. But I heard they booed Stafford, I don't like that. That's kind of bad right there. I ain't gonna lie, Detroit. I know y'all playing him in the playoffs, y'all want to win. Y'all could've gave him a little standing ovation for 30 seconds, just acknowledge what he did for that organization for 30 seconds."
Slay added that he felt the fans should've shown their appreciation for the passer because of his contributions to the city, both on and off the field.
"But to do that and boo him and his kids and all that kind of stuff, I ain't gonna lie, if I was Stafford I wouldn't want to step back over there no more. Yeah, that's bad business," Slay said. "They should fix that, they shouldn't have done that, that was terrible Detroit, we've got to be better than that. They've got to be better than that. Because they're a good fan base as well. They can't do that to Stafford. When I came there, they gave me a little standing ovation. I did a lot for the city as well, but (expletive), not close to Stafford."
Slay added that he's a fan of the product Detroit has on the field and would like to see the team advance.
"I want them to go for the city. Really, not for the city, for the players. I lied. The players have been amazing," Slay explained. "For the players. Players are doing an amazing job, I love what the coaches are doing. They're believing in them, believing in the coaching staff over there. I would love for the players to get the dub."
