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Below is a recap of what cornerback Darius Slay had to say during his introductory press conference with the Detroit Lions on Saturday. (Quotes provided by the Lions.)
On what it has been like since he has been drafted: "It's been very well. With my family, I've been experiencing a lot. They've been in my corner since I've been born. So, I felt a lot of support when they were at the Draft with me. At the time, I felt like I was going in the first, but I fell to the second. They all stayed in my corner, but I feel pretty good about where I'm at now."
On how he spent his night after he was drafted: "My family and I just stayed there. I planned on leaving, but my mom told me to stay because I work hard for what I deserve. You only get drafted once so I wanted to walk off stage and enjoy every moment of it."
On the concern with his knee: "It's not true. I'm pretty sure I'm ready for training camp. Right now, I've had like two individual workouts after my meniscus. So, I mean, I feel pretty good. I feel fluent. I'm moving good when I turn, no problem. So, I feel pretty healthy right now.'
On if he could do a full practice right now: "Yes, sir. I could do a full workout right now."
On when the injury occurred: "I did it Pro Day, so like two months ago."
On his Draft experience: "I enjoyed every bit of it. You know, I had my mom down there with me. That's our first time in New York and I've never seen so many people in business suits on the side of the street."
On how playing in the SEC prepared him for the NFL: "It prepared me a lot, you know, with the coaching I had with Coach Smith. He taught me a lot. He's been in the SEC for going on like 20 years, maybe. So, he knew what the competition was like. He knew I was NFL-ready. When I first got there, he just made sure I got raw on my technique and got better every day."
On what it was like to go through the Draft experience with his son: "It was a great experience. I had my son early. 15 years old, high school. Just seeing him, that pushed me. So, I didn't want to disappoint him, so I know he's looking at everything I do. I hope I'm forwarding him the right way right now."
On how the best wide receiver in the SEC stacks up to an elite NFL receiver: "I mean, I say Justin Hunter. With the route running, he's tall and lanky. He's not just big, but he's a great route runner and he's got good speed. So, I feel like he's the best one I went against."
On the expected competition at cornerback: "You know, I'm just coming here to compete and get better every day. That's my goal, come in and work hard. That's what I did at Mississippi State and that's what I'm going to continue to do.'
On how he has handled being a father: "It was rough for me, but my mom stayed in my corner and I thought it was the end of the world. But my mom told me keep pushing because I felt like at one time I felt like I had to quit school to maybe take care of my son. He has to be there. So, my mom just helped me out a lot. She kept him while I was in school and shoot, when I got back, it was daddy time. I did my job when I got back. My mom made sure you go to school and graduate. That's what I did."
On what he has learned from being a father: "I did a lot. What it is, I developed as a man at a young age. So what it was, I grew up early. Basically, I knew I put myself in position to not make mistakes again. My mom taught me well. That's basically it, really."
On if his son understands that his father is an NFL football player: "Only thing he understands was why I wasn't on the TV yet. He was worried about why I didn't get drafted yet, so he knew I was supposed to go. He's like, ‘Daddy, I'm ready to leave.' He was ready for me to just walk across the stage and get it over with. But he was happy, he enjoyed it. He was just like, ‘Make sure you carry me around the stage so everybody can see me."
On if he prefers zone or man coverage: "I feel better in man because, you know, I like to compete. I like the one-on-one competition. But I can play either one."
More from POD:
• Track the Lions' picks in our draft StoryStream
• Presenting the Lions' 2013 draft class