Aaron Donald facts for kids
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Donald with the Los Angeles Rams in 2020
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| No. 99 | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | May 23, 1991 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 280 lb (127 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Penn Hills (Penn Hills, Pennsylvania) |
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| College: | Pittsburgh (2010–2013) | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2014 / Round: 1 / Pick: 13 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Aaron Charles Donald (born May 23, 1991) is an American former professional football defensive tackle. He played for 10 seasons with the St. Louis and Los Angeles Rams teams in the National Football League (NFL). Many people think he is one of the best defensive players ever.
Donald played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers. He won many awards there, like the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Outland Trophy, and Bill Willis Trophy. He also won the Chuck Bednarik Award and Lombardi Award in his senior year. The St. Louis Rams picked him in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played his first two seasons in St. Louis and then eight more in Los Angeles. During his NFL career, Donald was named Defensive Player of the Year three times, which is a record. He was also chosen for the Pro Bowl in all ten of his seasons. He earned eight first-team All-Pro honors. Donald was also a key player when his team won Super Bowl LVI.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Aaron Donald grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was one of three children in his family. His dad helped him start working out early. This helped Aaron learn to be more disciplined. By age 12, he and his dad would wake up very early. They worked out for almost two hours in their basement gym.
Donald went to Penn Hills High School. He played high school football there. He was chosen for the first-team All-State Class AAAA in his last two years. As a senior, he made 63 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks. He also played as an offensive guard.
Experts like Rivals.com thought he was a good player. They ranked him as the 37th best defensive tackle in the country. He decided to play for his hometown team, the Pittsburgh Panthers. He chose them over other teams like Toledo and Rutgers.
College Career Highlights
As a true freshman (a first-year player), Donald played in all 13 games for Pitt. He was a reserve defensive end, meaning he wasn't a starter but played often. He made 11 tackles, including three that stopped plays for a loss, and had two sacks.
In 2011, as a sophomore, Donald became a starter. He had a great season. He made 47 tackles, 16 for a loss, and 11 sacks. He also forced one fumble. He was named a second-team All-Big East Conference player. As a junior, he made 64 tackles, 18.5 for a loss, and 5.5 sacks. He also forced one fumble. He earned first-team All-Big East honors.
In his senior year, Donald was one of the best defensive players in the whole NCAA. He made 59 tackles, a career-high 28.5 for a loss, and 11 sacks. He also forced four fumbles. He was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He was also a unanimous All-American, meaning all major selectors agreed he was one of the best.
College Statistics
| Pittsburgh Panthers | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | GP | Cmb | TfL | Sck | Int | FF |
| 2010 | 13 | 11 | 3 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | 13 | 45 | 16 | 11.0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2012 | 13 | 64 | 18.5 | 5.5 | 0 | 1 |
| 2013 | 13 | 59 | 28.5 | 11.0 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | 52 | 179 | 66 | 29.5 | 0 | 6 |
Starting a Pro Career
Pre-Draft Performance
Before the NFL Draft, players show off their skills at the NFL Combine. Aaron Donald set a record there. He ran the 40-yard dash faster than any other defensive tackle before him, at 4.68 seconds. This record was previously held by Tank Johnson. People started comparing him to famous player John Randle.
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 0+3⁄4 in (1.85 m) |
285 lb (129 kg) |
32+5⁄8 in (0.83 m) |
9+7⁄8 in (0.25 m) |
4.68 s | 1.63 s | 2.69 s | 4.39 s | 7.11 s | 32 in (0.81 m) |
9 ft 8 in (2.95 m) |
35 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine | ||||||||||||
Joining the Rams (2014-2016)
The St. Louis Rams chose Donald as the 13th overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft. In June 2014, he signed a four-year contract worth over $10 million.
He played his first regular season game on September 7, 2014. He had four tackles in that game. The next week, he got his first NFL sack. Donald started his first game on October 13, 2014. He finished his first season with 47 tackles and nine sacks. He was chosen as one of five rookies for the 2015 Pro Bowl. Donald also won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. He was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team.
In 2015, Donald continued to play well. In the first game against the Seattle Seahawks, he had nine tackles and two sacks. This helped the Rams win. He was named the National Football Conference (NFC) Defensive Player of the Week. Later in the season, he had a career-high three sacks against the Detroit Lions. He earned another NFC Defensive Player of the Week award. Donald played in all 16 games. He ended the season with 69 tackles and 11 sacks. He was chosen for the First-team All-Pro and his second Pro Bowl.
In 2016, the Rams moved to Los Angeles. Donald continued to be a strong player. He had 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble against the Arizona Cardinals. This earned him his third NFC Defensive Player of the Week award. He was named to his third straight Pro Bowl and his second First-team All-Pro.
Becoming a Star (2017-2018)
In 2017, Donald missed some early games while working on his contract. When he returned, he quickly showed his skill. He recorded a sack in four straight games. In a game against the Seahawks, he had five tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble.
Donald was named to his fourth straight Pro Bowl. He also earned first-team All-Pro honors for the third time. He finished the 2017 season with 41 tackles, 11 sacks, and five forced fumbles. Because of his amazing season, Donald was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
In 2018, Donald signed a big contract extension. It made him one of the highest-paid defensive players in NFL history at the time. He had an incredible season. Against the 49ers, he had four sacks and nine tackles. This earned him NFC Defensive Player of the Week. He was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October. In Week 16, he had three sacks against the Cardinals. This brought his season total to 19.5 sacks, breaking the record for a defensive tackle. He finished the season with a league-leading 20.5 sacks. Donald was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month again for December. He was also chosen for the Pro Bowl.
On January 4, 2019, Donald was named to the AP All-Pro First-team. He was the only player chosen by everyone. On February 2, 2019, Donald won NFL Defensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row. Only two other players had done this before. Donald helped the Rams reach Super Bowl LIII. In the Super Bowl, he had five tackles, but the Rams lost to the New England Patriots.
Continued Dominance (2019-2021)
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In 2019, Donald continued to be a top player. He recorded his first sack of the season against the Cleveland Browns. He had two sacks against the 49ers. Against the Atlanta Falcons, he forced a fumble and recovered it. In Week 11, he had two sacks and earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week. Donald was selected for the 2020 Pro Bowl. He finished the season with 48 tackles and 12.5 sacks. He also earned First Team All-Pro honors.
In 2020, Donald started strong with a sack against the Cowboys. He had two sacks against the Buffalo Bills, including one where he forced and recovered a fumble. In Week 5, he had four sacks against the Washington Football Team, earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week. He forced another fumble against the Miami Dolphins. Donald was selected for the 2021 Pro Bowl and earned First Team All-Pro honors. In the playoffs, he had two sacks against the Seahawks. On February 6, 2021, Donald was named 2020 NFL Defensive Player of the Year for the third time.
In 2021, Donald continued his amazing play. He had three sacks and five tackles against the Cardinals, earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week. He was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for December. Donald earned another Pro Bowl nomination and First Team All-Pro honors. In the playoffs, his pressure on the 49ers quarterback led to a game-winning interception. The Rams won the NFC Championship. In Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals, Donald had two sacks. He made a game-winning play by pressuring the quarterback on the final play. This helped the Rams win the Super Bowl 23–20.
Final Seasons and Retirement (2022-2023)
In 2022, Donald signed a new contract that made him the first non-quarterback to earn over $30 million per season. He suffered an ankle injury in Week 13. He missed the last six games of the season. He still earned Pro Bowl honors for the ninth time. He finished the season with 49 tackles and five sacks.
In the 2023 season, Donald recorded eight sacks and 53 tackles. He helped the Rams reach the playoffs with a 10–7 record. He earned Pro Bowl honors for the tenth time. He also received first-team All-Pro honors for the eighth time.
On March 15, 2024, Aaron Donald announced his retirement from football. He said he felt he had achieved a lot in the sport. He no longer had the strong desire to keep up with the intense training needed. He retired at 32 years old.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| NFL Defensive Player of the Year | |
| Won the Super Bowl | |
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 2014 | STL | 16 | 12 | 48 | 38 | 10 | 9.0 | 18 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | STL | 16 | 16 | 69 | 44 | 25 | 11.0 | 22 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 1 | 40 | 0 |
| 2016 | LAR | 16 | 16 | 47 | 36 | 11 | 8.0 | 17 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | LAR | 14 | 14 | 41 | 32 | 9 | 11.0 | 15 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | LAR | 16 | 16 | 59 | 41 | 18 | 20.5 | 25 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | LAR | 16 | 16 | 48 | 29 | 19 | 12.5 | 20 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | LAR | 16 | 16 | 45 | 27 | 18 | 13.5 | 14 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | LAR | 17 | 17 | 84 | 38 | 46 | 12.5 | 19 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | LAR | 11 | 11 | 49 | 27 | 22 | 5.0 | 10 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | LAR | 16 | 16 | 53 | 28 | 25 | 8.0 | 16 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 154 | 150 | 543 | 340 | 203 | 111.0 | 176 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 7 | 40 | 0 | |
Postseason
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 2017 | LAR | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2018 | LAR | 3 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0.0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2020 | LAR | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2021 | LAR | 4 | 4 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 3.5 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2023 | LAR | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Career | 11 | 11 | 34 | 19 | 15 | 6.0 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Awards and Highlights
NFL Achievements
- Super Bowl champion (LVI)
- 3× NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2017, 2018, 2020)
- NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2014)
- 8× First-team All-Pro selection (2015–2021, 2023)
- 10× Pro Bowl selection (2014–2023)
- Deacon Jones Award (2018)
- NFL 2010s All-Decade Team
- Ranked No. 1 in the NFL Top 100 Players of 2019
- 3× NFC Defensive Player of the Month (2018 – October; 2018 – December; 2021 – December)
- 8× NFC Defensive Player of the Week (2015 – Week 1, Week 14; 2016 – Week 4; 2018 – Week 7, Week 16; 2019 – Week 11; 2020 – Week 5; 2021 – Week 14)
College Awards
- ACC Defensive Player of the Year (2013)
- Bronko Nagurski Trophy (2013)
- Chuck Bednarik Award (2013)
- Lombardi Award (2013)
- Outland Trophy (2013)
- Unanimous All-American (2013)
Personal Life
Aaron Donald has an older brother, Archie Jr. Archie Jr. also played football as a linebacker at Toledo. The brothers always dreamed of helping their parents retire. This goal was a big reason for Aaron's hard work in his career. On April 27, 2020, Donald shared on Twitter that he had earned a degree in communications from the University of Pittsburgh.
In 2021, Donald and his wife had a son. Donald also has two other children, a daughter and a son, from a previous relationship.
Images for kids
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Donald with the Los Angeles Rams in 2020
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Donald with the Pittsburgh Panthers in 2013
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Donald at the 2014 NFL Combine.
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Donald after winning the 2018 NFC Championship Game
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Donald in 2019
See also
In Spanish: Aaron Donald para niños
