Aaron Donald is an American football player who plays in the National Football League. Currently, he serves as a defensive tackle for the NFL team Los Angeles Rams.
The athlete is very well known for his defensive skills. Moreover, he is the recipient of the NFLDefensive Player of the Year for two consecutive years.
Although he led a passive style as a kid, Donald picked up the pace as a teenager. He worked out every morning with his father.
The defensive player credits his parents, especially his father, for shaping up his life. Furthermore, the everyday workouts helped him have a strong discipline and work ethic.
Aaron Donald With His Son and Daughter On The Field
Besides that, he is the highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL. He has also received many awards and honors for his defensive moves.
Aaron has built a reputation as a hard-working player who always pushes himself. Hence, he has inspired many others to work hard and live their dream.
The NFL player was an outstanding high school player. He received well-deserved attention from college scouts and the media.
Correspondingly, he was a star player at college. Shortly after graduation, he entered the NFL draft, and the rest is history.
Before getting into details about the defensive tackle’s life and career, here are some quick facts about him.
Aaron Donald was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the United States. His parents are Archie Donald and Anita Goggins. Furthermore, his father was also a football player. Moreover, he played collegiate-level football and dreamed of getting into the NFL.
However, his dreams were quickly shattered after sustaining an injury. Archie suffered a fractured patella that forced him to give up football.
Thereafter he took up a working-class job. Nevertheless, he still focused on his health and fitness.
Aaron Donald with his parents
As a result, he inspired his children to work out and lift. The father taught them the importance of hard work and consistency.
Aaron would work out for two hours with his father every day at 4:30 am. Shortly after, he was enthusiastic about football and his defensive skills improved.
Besides that, he is the youngest of three kids. He has an older brother named Archie Donald Jr. and Jaeda Donald.
The three siblings lived with both of their parents before they divorced in 1999. Nonetheless, the former pair maintain a cordial and friendly relationship.
Cheat Code played high school football for Penn Hills High School. Then he attended the University of Pittsburgh to pursue collegiate football.
With a little encouragement from Anita, he graduated with a communication degree in 2020.
The defensive tackle turned 30 years old as of May 23, 2022. As an athlete, he focuses on his health and fitness a lot.
Besides that, he works out regularly. The footballer is 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 280 lb, i.e., 127 kg.
Aaron Donald
Unfortunately, the information regarding the body measurement, shoe size, tattoos (if any) is not available at the moment.
Once found the readers will be updated as soon. Likewise, he belongs to the American nationality and follows the Christianity religion.
Aaron Donald | Football Career
High School And College Career
The athlete played defense for the Penn Hills Indians as a high school student. Initially, he was the offensive guard. He was an exceptional footballer. Furthermore, he was picked for the first team All-State Class AAAA in his junior and senior years.
A well-renowned sports website, Rivals.com, named him America’s 37th best defensive tackle. Then Donald was the defensive end for the Pittsburgh Panthers.
Moreover, he played all of 13 games as a freshman. He received well-deserved attention in his second year.
Aaron Donald Playing For Pittsburgh Panthers
He was also the second-team All-Big East selection in his sophomore year. The following year, the father of two was honored with a first-team All-Big East selection.
Eventually, he was named the most productive defensive player in the entire NCAA as a senior.
“I’m simply going to go play football – fly around and make a few plays. That is the only thing that is in any way important.”
Besides that, he was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and an All-American. The NFL player was also the recipient of several awards for his defensive skills.
Some of them are the Lombardi Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award, and the Outland Trophy.
Following his college graduation, the athlete entered the 2014 NFL Draft. The former Pitt was picked in the first round and was the 13th pick overall. He was selected by the St. Louis Rams, also known as, Los Angeles Rams.
Upon draft, the defensive tackle signed a contract that guaranteed him $10.13 million with $5.69 million as a signing bonus.
The footballer soon proved his worth to the team. Donald was the recipient of the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. He was also on the NFL All-Rookie Team.
NFL Player Aaron Donald
Moreover, the footballer became a two-time NFC Defensive Player of the Week in the 2015 season.
On top of that, he also received a First-Team All-Pro nomination. Cheat Code was a three-time Pro Bowl and two-time First-team All-Pro in the 2016 season.
Correspondingly, he landed at 15th position in the 2017’s NFL Top 100 Players. The following year he was again selected in the Pro Bowl. Furthermore, he was the 2017 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
New Contract And Present Career
The 2018 season was a remarkable season for Aaron. He signed a six-year contract that made him the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL.
In the entirety of the season, the athlete was NFC Defensive Player of the Week and NFC Defensive Player of the Month twice.
Moreover, he earned his second NFL Defensive Player of the Year title. Donald also assisted his team to the 2018 Super Bowl Championship. However, they lost to the New England Patriots.
Although he received some consequences for his aggressive play, Aaron still managed to grab the NFC Defensive Player of the Week titles. He also received the title in Week 5 of the 2020 season.
The NFL player is quite infamous for his outburst on the football field. In the 2016 season, he was thrown out of a game and later fined for his aggressive behavior. Firstly, he yanked San Francisco 49ers’ Quinton Patton’s helmet.
Secondly, the athlete threw a penalty flag back at the referee. Thirdly, he slammed his helmet while getting off the field. Donald was fined a total of $21,269 for unnecessary roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct.
Furthermore, the NFL fined him $18,231 for committing a penalty later in the season.
In the 2018 season, Seahawk Seattle’s center Justin Britt pushed Aaron aggressively after he went out of the game bound. Then the defensive tackle grabbed Britt and got in his face.
As a result, both received 15-yard penalties. However, the matter didn’t resolve there. The Rams player confronted the Seahawks player after the game was over.
The footballer strapped on his helmet and ran towards Justin before grabbing him by his helmet.
Aaron Donald Jersey
However, his teammates helped break the potential fight. Rams coach Sean McVay talked to the star defense, later on, to calm him down.
In an interview, he shared how he explained to Aaron not to let his “emotions of the game affect his responses and how he controls different things.”
Aaron Donald | Career Stats
Year
Team
COMB
AST
Sack
INT
YDS
TD
2020
Rams
45
18
13.5
0
0
0
2019
Rams
48
19
12.5
0
0
0
2018
Rams
59
18
20.5
0
0
0
2017
Rams
41
9
11.0
0
0
0
2016
Rams
47
11
8.0
0
0
0
2015
Rams
69
25
11.0
0
0
0
2014
Rams
48
10
9.0
0
0
0
Career
357
110
85.5
0
0
0
Aaron Donald | Relationships And Kids
The Rams player is engaged to Erica Sherman. She is a Community Affairs Manager who mainly works in the sports industry. Previously, she worked for her fiancé’s team Los Angeles Rams.
Rams Defensive Tackle Aaron Donald With His Fiancé Erica Sherman
The two reportedly met there and started dating shortly after. Currently, the pair are engaged and live together in Calabasas, California.
They don’t have any kids of their own. Nevertheless, baby cries can be expected soon after the wedding bells.
Besides that, the defensive tackle used to date Jaelynn Blakey. The two were high school sweethearts. They were together for a long time.
Furthermore, Donald has two kids with her. His firstborn was Jaelynn Donald, and his second-born is Aaron Donald Jr.
Aaron Donald | Net Worth And Salary
The defensive tackle has an exceptional amount of wealth that he has earned mostly through football.
He has a net worth of $60 million. Besides that, he recently signed a $135 million worth contract with the Rams. The contract guarantees him $87 million in salary.
Furthermore, he earns very well through endorsements and sponsorships.
Famous companies and brands like Pizza Hut, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Electronic Arts, Dr. Teal’s, and Karma Automotive endorse him. He is also the stakeholder of a start-up company called Ready Nutrition.
Social Media Presence
The Rams player is quite active on social media platforms. He is on Instagram with 882k followers. He usually shares his pictures on the field with his fellow teammates.
Furthermore, he likes posting his workout routines and spectacular body. The athlete is very fitness-oriented and has several pictures in the gym. Besides that, he also has photos of his family and two adorable children.
Moreover, he is on Twitter, with over 113.4kfollowers. Donald often shares football-related news and game highlights.
He also promotes his foundation, AD99 Solutions, which focuses on providing athletic gear and opportunities to Pittsburgh youths.
Correspondingly, he boosts a start-up company called Ready Nutrition. His fiancé is very supportive of him and often cheers him on from her Twitter handle. She also helps stimulate his foundation and brands.
Common Queries:
How many sacks did Aaron Donald have in 2020?
The NFL player has 12.5 sacks as of 2020. He had the most sacks in 2018, i.e., 20.5. To sum up, he has 84.5 sacks in the entirety of his NFL career.
Is Aaron Donald a DT or DE?
Aaron is a Defensive Tackle (DT) and a Defensive End (DE). The athlete currently plays for the Los Angeles Rams.
The star defensive player has played for the team since his draft. He is one of their most prized possessions. Moreover, Donald is one of the best defensive tackles in NFL history.
