PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Darius Slay never thought he'd be happy to be booed. That may be the case on Sunday in Pittsburgh.
The Eagles will take on the Steelers this weekend and will be playing in front of fans for the first time this season. The city of Pittsburgh is allowing approximately 5,500 fans into Heinz Field for the game.
This will be the first time the Eagles will see and hear fans at one of their games due to pandemic restrictions. Slay said he will welcome the noise, even if it's negative.
"I might get a little more excited when I hear a boo call," said Slay. "Like a boo for the first time when I run out the tunnel. I might be excited.”
It may seem strange to be happy to get booed, but players have come to appreciate the importance of the fans both home and away.
The home crowd provides an obvious boost and players get motivated to quiet crowds in opposing stadiums, something Doug Pederson believes serves as motivation no matter where a game is played.
"Players feed off of that emotion and off of the crowd," Pederson said. "Even though it's a small number, the voices will be heard, and guys are looking forward to doing that and playing in front of a few fans. It's always good when positive things happen to be able to celebrate in front of fans."
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Several teams still have not allowed fans to attend games as they follow city guidelines. This will be the first game in Pittsburgh this season with fans in the stands, and while there will be much less than in normal years, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin will welcome their support.
"We appreciate the opportunity to play in front of our fans in our home venue," said Tomlin. "It's something that we haven't experienced this year. Even in a limited capacity, we're honored to do so and excited about having the opportunity to entertain them."
There are more teams allowing a limited amount of fans at their games. Now that the Steelers have been given the green light to have a limited number of fans attend, many are wondering if the other side of the state will follow suit.
As Pederson gets ready to face the Steelers in front of fans in Pittsburgh, he is hoping it won't be long before he sees fans in the stands in South Philadelphia.
"It’s positive," Pederson said. "We’re excited that it’s getting closer to maybe having fans even here at the Linc but having fans at Heinz Field is going to be great. It’s going to be great for both teams."