The greatest defensive player of his generation has called time on his career, as Aaron Donald confirmed on Friday that he would be retiring from the sport.
"Cheers to what's next—extending a big thank you to the Rams and all of the fans for your support over these last ten years—much love,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter.
The tributes started with Rams head coach Sean McVay, who said: “He is truly one of one and epitomizes everything right about sports.” Further tributes will no doubt follow in the coming hours and days.
Here is a look at some of the high points from Donald’s elite 10-year career with the Rams.
A Combine record
After a stellar college career that saw him land the Lombardi Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Donald’s NFL Combine performance saw him turn heads as he set the record for the fastest 40-yard dash for a defensive tackle with a time of 4.68 seconds.
That beat Tank Johnson’s ten-year record and cranked up the pre-draft hype. The St Louis Rams would then draft him with their 13th overall pick.
An instant impact
Donald quickly delivered in St Louis. His first NFL sack came in Week 2 of his rookie season, with eight more following over the course of the season in a Rams team that limped to a 6-10 record and finished bottom of the NFC West.
As one of just five rookies selected to the Pro Bowl, Donald won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award and was named on the NFL All-Rookie Team.
A big pay day and a first Super Bowl appearance
By 2018, Donald’s big performances and accolades were racking up, as he had four Pro Bowl appearances and three first-team All-Pro selections to his name.
The Rams, now in LA, would hand him a six-year, $135million contract extension to make him the most highly-paid defensive player in history (a designation that lasted 24 hours when Khalil Mack got paid by the Bears).
Donald did not rest on his laurels, as he claimed another first-team All-Pro selection and a second consecutive NFL Defensive Player of the Year award as he helped the Rams reach Super Bowl LIII.
With the New England Patriots double-teaming him, he struggled to make much of an impact as the Rams lost 13-3.
Donald gets his Super Bowl ring
Three years after the Super Bowl defeat to the Patriots, Donald and the Rams were back in the big game, this time against the Cincinnati Bengals.
And this time, he was able to put in a title-winning performance, sacking Joe Burrow twice and recording three quarterback hits, including the play that sealed the Vince Lombardi trophy, when he pressured Burrow into a four-and-one incompletion in the final minute.
Donald celebrated that play by pointing to his ring finger in one of the iconic images of recent Super Bowl history.
Final totals
With Donald having now hung up his cleats, he will go down as one of the greatest players of his era and is a no-doubt first ballot Hall of Famer.
He ends his ten-year NFL career with the Rams with 116 sacks, three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, eight first-team All-Pro selections and ten Pro Bowl trips.
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