How Many Years Has Aaron Donald Been in the NFL?
How Many Years Has Aaron Donald Been in the NFL?
The answer may surprise you.
Aaron Donald’s NFL Career
Aaron Donald is a professional American football player who has been in the NFL since 2014. He currently plays for the Los Angeles Rams as a defensive tackle. He has been selected for the Pro Bowl six times and has been named a First Team All-Pro four times.
Drafted by the Rams in 2014
Aaron Donald was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He was the 13th overall pick. Donald played college football at the University of Pittsburgh, where he was a two-time Consensus All-American and won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Rotary Lombardi Award as a senior in 2013. He has been with the Rams for his entire seven-year career.
Donald is a five-time Pro Bowler and a four-time First-Team All-Pro. He is also a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, winning the award in 2017 and 2018. In 2018, he became the first defensive player since Lawrence Taylor in 1986 to be named AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year in consecutive seasons.
Named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
In his first season with the Rams, Donald was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year after recording nine sacks, which led all NFL rookies and ranked second among all interior defensive linemen in 2014. He was also named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. The following year, he was named a first-team All-Pro after leading the league in sacks with 11.0. He became the first Rams’ defensive tackle to be named a first-team All-Pro since Merlin Olsen in 1976 and was also named to the PFWA All-AFC team. In 2016, he was once again named a first-team All-Pro and was also named the NFC Defensive Player of the Year by the PFWA.
Named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons
Aaron Donald has been one of the best defensive players in the NFL since he was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in 2014. He was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons, and he was named the AP Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, he signed a six-year, $135 million contract extension with the Rams that made him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history.
Aaron Donald’s College Career
Aaron Donald played college football for the University of Pittsburgh from 2010 to 2013. He was a four-year starter and was named first-team All-American twice. He was also named the Defensive Player of the Year in the Big East Conference in 2012.
Played college football at Pittsburgh
Aaron Donald played college football at Pittsburgh, where he was a four-year starter and earned First-team All-American honors in his senior year. He was drafted by the Rams in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. In his five NFL seasons, Donald has been selected to five Pro Bowls and been named a First-team All-Pro four times. He was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2014 and the Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 and 2018.
Won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Chuck Bednarik Award
In 2013, Donald won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Chuck Bednarik Award, which are both awarded to the best defensive player in college football. He was also named a first-team All-American by numerous publications. Donald played in 41 games during his collegiate career and recorded 181 tackles, 66.0 quarterback sacks, and 32.5 tackles for loss.
Was a two-time consensus All-American
Aaron Donald was a two-time consensus All-American at Pitt, and won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Outland Trophy as the nation’s best defensive lineman in 2013. He also was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
Aaron Donald’s Personal Life
Aaron Donald is an American football defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Pittsburgh, where he was a two-time first-team All-American. He was drafted by the Rams with the thirteenth overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. Since then, he has been selected to six Pro Bowls and was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 and 2018. In his personal life, Aaron Donald is married to his high school sweetheart, Julie Donald. The couple have two children together.
Donald was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Donald was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He attended Penn Hills High School, where he played both football and basketball. He then attended the University of Pittsburgh, where he played on the Pitt Panthers football team from 2010 to 2013. Donald was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
He has two brothers, Archie and Aaron Jr.
Aaron Donald was born on May 23, 1991, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He has two brothers, Archie and Aaron Jr. Donald attended Penn Hills High School, where he played football and basketball. He was a three-star recruit according to Rivals.com. Donald accepted a scholarship to play college football at the University of Pittsburgh.
His father, Archie Sr., was a running back at Pitt
Aaron Donald’s father, Archie Sr., was a running back at Pitt who later had a brief stint in the NFL with the Detroit Lions. His mother, Anita Goggins-Donald, was a track and field star in high school. Donald has two younger brothers, Archie Jr. and A’rese.
