A second-round pick in the 2013 draft, Darius "Big Play" Slay is still at it in Year 12 in the league.

The resume is robust – a six-time Pro Bowl selection, first-team All-Pro, NFL interception co-leader (2017), team captain, and more.

But Slay knows his time left in the NFL is limited, and he's been preparing the next men up to succeed once he's gone – in particular, rookies Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell.

"It's a natural thing. I'm a natural dude, so I like to always involve myself around the young guys, definitely in my position," Slay said. "I know how hard it is to play this position, so I always try to make the situation easier for them. I let them know that, 'Hey man, stuff is going to happen,' but the first thing I like to do is always have a bond with everybody. We have a great, great bond, all three of us. You see how they're my kids sitting beside me. I wanted to move my locker in between them so I could hug them both at the same time."

Despite him being tied for the second-oldest player on the team behind Brandon Graham (36) (tied with Lane Johnson, 34), Slay hasn't felt his age much this season.

"It's all love with my dudes; I love these guys. They continue to keep building me, keeping me young – I've always been young, but they just make me feel even younger just hanging around with them and laughing and joking," Slay said.

Slay has excelled in breaking up passes this season. He has 13 pass deflections and had arguably his best game of the season in Week 16 against Washington.

He finished with seven total tackles, three pass deflections, and led the defense with a PFF grade of 87. Slay also helped force one of five turnovers for the Eagles' defense on a play in which he broke up Jayden Daniels' pass, allowing Reed Blankenship to intercept it in the fourth quarter.

"(I'm) just trusting myself and trusting what I know, and I'm playing ball. Without my teammates, I wouldn't be able to do a lot of things. The guys were rushing great, we were just covering good, and it's a team effort. Without those guys, I wouldn't be too much, so I wouldn't be 'Big Play' without those boys," Slay said after the game in Washington.

The knowledge and experience the savvy veteran brings to an overall young defense is invaluable and it's something the group can use going into the upcoming playoff run.

"He's helped a lot. I think he's helped me and Q (cornerback Quinyon Mitchell) a lot, just how to be a pro, really take care of yourself, teaching us on the field the different techniques that he's learned over the years, how to play certain things. But he's just been a great leader to look up to ever since we got here. He's helped us every step of the way," DeJean said.

Mitchell shared the same sentiment about Slay's leadership.

"I mean, he's just been giving me everything from advice to anything. He's been a huge resource for me," Mitchell said. "He's been like a big brother, you know, somebody who I can lean on, who I can come to about anything on and off the field. So, like I always say – I really appreciate it."

Although he is one of the oldest players, the young guys lean on Slay and they thrive off of his high intensity out on the field.

The three-time team captain helps set the tone each and every Sunday.

"It just fires us up. He's a vet in the room, the oldest in the room, so when he's going, we're going. He just gives us a spark as a defense and as a secondary," Mitchell said.

"It motivates us a lot," DeJean said. "For him to still be playing at a high level in Year 12, it's cool to see. I think it's a testament to how he's worked throughout his career, how he's taken care of his body, and just how good of a teammate he is. You can see that when you're in the building."

The playoffs are here and for Slay, it will be his eighth career playoff game (six in Philadelphia, two in Detroit). There is just one thing missing on his stacked resume – a Super Bowl.

"Just continue to keep leading and just try to be great and trying to lead us to wins, victories, and hopefully a ring. That's the main thing," Slay said ahead of the 2024 season.

His leadership will be paramount as the Eagles try to make a Super Bowl run, and the preparation started on day one.

"We already asked some questions and stuff like that, but he just says it's just a regular game. But it's win or go home, so our technique and everything else just has to be right," Mitchell said.

– Written by Liam Wichser