Aaron Donald

Aaron Charles Donald (born May 23, 1991) is an American former professional football defensive tackle who played 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He spent his entire career playing for the St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams and is widely considered to be one of the greatest defensive players of all time.

Donald played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers, winning the Bronko Nagurski, Outland, and Bill Willis trophies along with the Chuck Bednarik and Lombardi awards as a senior. He was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the first round (13th overall) of the 2014 NFL draft and was named Defensive Player of the Year a record three times, along with receiving Pro Bowl selections in all 10 of his seasons and eight first-team All-Pro honors. Donald was also a member of the Rams team that won Super Bowl LVI.

Early life

Aaron Charles Donald was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on May 23, 1991. He grew up as one of three children in a working-class family in the city's Lincoln–Lemington–Belmar neighborhood; Donald later admitted that he was "lazy as a kid." Seeking to provide a sense of structure in his son's life, Donald's father introduced him to workouts, and they would wake up at 4:30 a.m. and workout for nearly two hours in the gym that his father installed in their basement by the time Donald was 12.

Donald attended Penn Hills High School, where he played high school football for head coach Ron Graham. Donald was a first-team All-State Class AAAA selection in each of his final two seasons, and compiled 63 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks as a senior. Donald also started at offensive guard.

Considered a three-star prospect by Rivals.com, Donald was rated as the 37th best defensive tackle in the nation. He committed to hometown Pittsburgh over other scholarship offers from Toledo, Akron, and Rutgers.

College career

As a true freshman in 2010, Donald played in all 13 games as a reserve defensive end for the Pittsburgh Panthers. He recorded 11 tackles, including three for loss, and two sacks.

As a sophomore in 2011, Donald moved into the starting lineup and turned in a breakout campaign. He recorded 47 tackles, including 16 for loss, 11 sacks, and a forced fumble while being named a second-team All-Big East Conference selection.

As a junior in 2012, Donald recorded 64 tackles, including 18.5 for loss, 5.5 sacks, and a forced fumble, earning first-team All-Big East honors.

As a senior in 2013, Donald became one of the most productive defensive players in the entire NCAA. He posted 59 tackles, including a career best 28.5 for loss, 11 sacks, and four forced fumbles. Donald was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and was a unanimous All-American.

The University of Pittsburgh retired Donald's No. 97 jersey at halftime on November 15, 2025. Two months later, on January 14, 2026, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

College statistics

Awards and honors

• Lombardi Award
• Bronko Nagurski Trophy
• Chuck Bednarik Award
• Outland Trophy

Professional career

Pre-draft

At the NFL Combine, Donald set the record for fastest 40-yard dash time for a defensive tackle at 4.68. The record was previously held by Tank Johnson, who ran a 4.69 in 2004. Donald drew comparisons to John Randle afterwards.

2014

Donald was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the first round (13th overall) of the 2014 NFL draft. On June 16, 2014, the Rams signed him to a four-year, fully guaranteed $10.13 million rookie contract with a $5.69 million signing bonus and a fifth-year option.

Donald made his regular season debut during the season-opening 34–6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and finished with four solo tackles. In the next game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Donald recorded two tackles and his first NFL sack on Josh McCown during the narrow 19–17 road victory.

During Week 7 against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football, Donald was given his first career start and finished the 31–17 loss with four solo tackles. In the next game against the Seattle Seahawks, Donald had five combined tackles and a sack during the narrow 28–26 victory. The following week against the Kansas City Chiefs, he recorded two solo tackles and a forced fumble in the 34–7 road loss.

During a Week 10 13–10 road victory over the 49ers, Donald recorded two tackles and sacked Colin Kaepernick once. From Weeks 11–15, he recorded a sack in each game and had a pass deflection in the Week 13 52–0 shutout victory over the Oakland Raiders. In the regular season finale against the Seahawks, Donald had a season-high seven combined tackles and strip-sacked Russell Wilson once during the 20–6 road loss.

Donald finished his rookie year with 47 combined tackles (37 solo), nine sacks, two forced fumbles, and a pass deflection in 16 games and 12 starts. Donald was one of five rookies selected to the 2015 Pro Bowl. He won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award and was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team.

2015

Donald began the 2015 season as a starting defensive tackle. During the season opener against the Seahawks, he finished with nine tackles and two sacks in the 34–31 overtime victory. Donald was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for the first time after his performance. In the next game against the Washington Redskins, Donald had five tackles and 0.5 sacks during the 24–10 road loss. The following week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he recorded four tackles and a sack in the 12–6 loss.

During a Week 7 24–6 victory over the Cleveland Browns, Donald had three solo tackles and a sack. Three weeks later against the Chicago Bears, he recorded seven tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery in the 37–13 loss. In the next game against the Baltimore Ravens, Donald had a season-high nine tackles and sacked Joe Flacco once during the 16–13 road loss.

During Week 13 against the Arizona Cardinals, Donald recorded seven tackles and a sack in the 27–3 loss. In the next game against the Detroit Lions, he had five tackles and sacked Matthew Stafford thrice during the 21–14 victory. Donald earned his second NFC Defensive Player of the Week award of the season for his spectacular performance against the Lions. During the regular season finale against the 49ers, Donald recorded two solo tackles and a pass deflection in the 19–16 overtime road loss.

Donald finished his second professional season with 69 combined tackles (43 solo), 11 sacks, a pass deflection, and a fumble recovery in 16 games and starts. He earned a First-team All-Pro selection for the first time in his NFL career. Donald was also a Pro Bowl selection for the second consecutive season. He was ranked 14th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.

2016: Move to Los Angeles

During the season-opener against the 49ers on Monday Night Football, Donald had three solo tackles before being ejected late in the fourth quarter of the 28–0 shutout road loss for making illegal contact with an official. He was eventually fined $21,269 for unnecessary roughness ($9,115) and unsportsmanlike conduct ($12,154). Two weeks later against the Buccaneers, Donald recorded two tackles and two pass deflections in the 37–32 road victory. In the next game against the Cardinals, he had five tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble during the 17–13 road victory. Donald was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Cardinals.

During a Week 5 30–19 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Donald recorded two tackles and 0.5 sacks. In the next game against the Lions, he had four solo tackles and a sack during the 31–28 road loss. Donald was later fined $18,231 for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty he committed against the Lions. Three weeks later against the Carolina Panthers, Donald recorded four solo tackles and sacked Cam Newton twice in the 13–10 loss.

During Week 11 against the Miami Dolphins, Donald had two tackles and a pass deflection in the 14–10 loss. In the next game against the New Orleans Saints, he recorded four solo tackles and strip-sacked Drew Brees once during the 49–21 road loss. Two weeks later against the Atlanta Falcons, Donald had two tackles and sacked Matt Ryan once in the 42–14 loss.

During a Week 15 24–3 road loss to the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football, Donald recorded two combined tackles and a pass deflection. In the next game against the 49ers, he had five tackles and a sack during the narrow 22–21 loss. During the regular season finale against the Cardinals, Donald deflected a pass during the 44–6 loss.

Donald finished the 2016 season with 47 combined tackles (35 solo), eight sacks, five pass deflections, and two forced fumbles in 16 games and starts. He was named to his third straight Pro Bowl and his second First-team All-Pro. Donald was also ranked 15th on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.