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Lions cornerback Darius Slay says good isn't good enough for him anymore.

(Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

DEARBORN -- Darius Slay took a massive step forward during his second season, and some believe he could be one of the Detroit Lions' next big stars.

That includes Darius Slay.

"I'm going to be great," the third-year cornerback said Friday before Stephen Tulloch's charity softball game in suburban Detroit. "Good is not acceptable this year for me. I have to be great."

Slay has shown oodles of talent since the Lions took him out of Mississippi State in the second round of the 2013 draft. He stands 6-foot-1 and has world-class speed at 4.36 seconds in the 40-yard dash -- the second-fastest time among defensive backs in the past three combines.

His career got off to a rocky start as a rookie, when he struggled to pick up the mental components of the game. But he put in a massive amount of work last offseason, including working privately with Hall of Famer Rod Woodson, and returned in 2014 to put up a huge sophomore campaign.

Slay started all 16 games alongside Rashean Mathis, picking off two passes and defending another 18. He allowed a passer rating of just 81.1, and jumped from 92nd at the position all the way to 19th according to ProFootballFocus.

It was a big season for Slay, and now expectations for him are rising accordingly.

"He could be the future of this franchise," fellow cornerback Rashean Mathis said, "and there's not too many people you can say that about."

Slay is embracing the pressure.

"I got to bring a lot more," he said. "I'm trying to be one of the best, and compete -- and I got the tools to do it. So that's what I'm going to do."

Cornerback is a big-money position these days, and another step forward could mean Slay's headed for a windfall as soon as next year, when he'll be entering his contract season.

His idol, Joe Haden, signed a five-year contract extension worth $68 million when he was entering his contract season last year. Slay is hoping to cash in as well, though he says it's not his foremost motivator.

"It's going to come when it comes," he said. "Whoever does it -- whoever pays me -- I'm just playing ball. I love where I'm at, I love my teammates and I just want to play ball. I just want to be the best at what I do.

"It ain't all about the money. I just love to compete and play the game."

Slay didn't play much of the game last week. He sat out OTAs with bruised hands.

Coach Jim Caldwell said the wounds were "self-inflicted," though declined to explain further what happened. Slay declined to comment as well, though emphasized the injury is minor and he expects to be back soon.

"I could have been back (already). It ain't no big issue," said Slay, sporting wraps on both of his hands at the softball game. "I could have did something last week. It was their decision. Ain't no big issue."

Slay did not participate in the softball game because of the injury, though he did wear a No. 23 jersey. The name on the back of the jersey?

"Big Play."

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