Aaron Donald

Aaron Donald is recognized as one of the most impactful defensive players in professional football history. Selected as the 13th overall pick in the NFL Draft, Donald became a key contributor for the Los Angeles Rams from the outset. At 6 feet 1 inch and 280 pounds, he was considered undersized for an NFL interior lineman, but he leveraged his quick first step and agility to disrupt offensive lines and pressure quarterbacks. Donald was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in his debut season, establishing himself as a dominant force at the defensive tackle position.

Throughout his career, Donald earned 10 Pro Bowl selections, eight First-Team All-Pro honors, three Defensive Player of the Year awards, a Defensive Rookie of the Year award, and a Super Bowl championship. In one season, he recorded 20.5 sacks—the most ever for an interior lineman—along with 25 tackles for loss and 41 quarterback hits, setting a benchmark for defensive performance in the NFL. Donald was one of only three players unanimously selected to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, alongside Tom Brady and J.J. Watt. He was also voted the number one overall player on the NFL Top 100 list by his peers, a rare distinction for a defensive lineman.

Donald’s defining moment came in Super Bowl LVI, when he pressured Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow on a decisive play, helping secure the Rams’ 23–20 championship victory. He concluded his Rams career with 111 sacks, 543 tackles, 176 tackles for loss, and 256 quarterback hits in 154 games. Following his retirement, the University of Pittsburgh retired his No. 97 jersey, and he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. In 2026, he returned to the league after signing a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Rams.

Donald’s football career began at the University of Pittsburgh, where he was a standout defensive tackle. In his senior season, he earned unanimous First-Team All-America honors and won the Bednarik, Lombardi, Nagurski, and Outland trophies, leading the NCAA with 28.5 tackles for loss. Over his college career, he accumulated 181 tackles, 66 tackles for loss, and 29.5 sacks, becoming the first Pitt player to win four major national awards in a single season. Donald’s connection to Pitt continued after his NFL success, as he made a significant financial contribution to the program, resulting in the university naming its practice facility the Aaron Donald Football Performance Center.

Off the field, Donald has been involved in philanthropy through the AD99 Foundation and business ventures such as Ready nutrition. His career has influenced defensive line play and set new standards for NFL defensive tackles, leaving a lasting legacy in both college and professional football.