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PITTSBURGH—Widely considered one of the greatest players not only of his generation but also in the history of the National Football League, Pitt Aaron Donald He called it a career.
The former Pitt star announced his retirement on Friday, concluding one of the most decorated and dominant careers the sport has ever witnessed.
Selected by the Rams in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft (13th Overall), Donald more than met the high expectations placed on one of the best options in the draft. Over 10 professional seasons, he became one of only three players in league history to win three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards. Donald was one of six unanimous selections to the 2010 NFL All-Decade Team.
Despite facing a series of blocking schemes (some legal and others employing old school), he compiled a staggering 111 sacks. He had at least eight sacks in 8 of his 10 NFL seasons.
Donald led the Rams to two Super Bowls and secured his team’s victory in Super Bowl LVI when he smothered Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow, forcing the final game incompletion in a 23-20 Los Angeles victory.
Reflecting his elevated status in the NFL, Donald played a memorable role in the league.”The 100 years game” commercial.
Born in Western Pennsylvania, Donald starred at Penn Hills High School, twice earning Class AAAA First Team All-State, before enrolling at Pitt in 2010. He was an immediate contributor for the Panthers and over the next four seasons compiled an astonishing 66 tackles for loss, the most by an FBS interior defensive lineman (and fourth regardless of position) since 2000, when the NCAA began tracking that statistic.
As a senior in 2013, Donald was an unstoppable force. He led the nation with 28.5 tackles for loss and added 11 sacks, four forced fumbles and a blocked extra point. At the end of the season, Donald was named a unanimous first-team All-American and winner of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Chuck Bednarik Award, the Outland Trophy, and the Rotary Lombardi Award, making him one of the most decorated players in the Pitt story.
The ground floor of Pitt’s Duratz Athletic Complex practice facility was renamed the “Aaron Donald Football Performance Center” in 2019. The recognition came after Donald made a seven-figure financial commitment to the Pitt Football Championship Fund, which serves the program in key areas. such as facility improvements, recruiting, technology and student-athlete development. He marked the largest donation ever made by a Pitt football letterman to the program.
“It was a dream come true to play for the University of Pittsburgh,” Donald said. “My experience as a Panther is something that influences my life every day and I want to give back.
“Pitt will always be my school and I am honored to support Blue and Gold.”
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