Aaron Donald | Early Life, Family, And Education
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.
After that, he took up a working-class job. Nevertheless, he still focused on his health and fitness.
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 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 some encouragement from Anita, he graduated with a communication degree in 2020.
Aaron Donald | Age, Height, And Weight
The defensive tackle turned 32 years old as of May 23, 2024. 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 (185.4 cm) tall and weighs 280 lb, i.e., 127 kg.
Aaron’s supposedly measurements are a Height of 6 ft 0+3⁄4 in (1.85 m), a Weight of 285 lb (129 kg), and no tattoos being inked.
Once found, the readers will be updated as soon as possible. Likewise, he belongs to the American nationality and follows the Christianity religion.
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 13 games as a freshman. He received well-deserved attention in his second year.
He was also the second-team All-Big East selection in his sophomore year. The Father of two was honored with a first-team All-Big East selection the following year.
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 also received several awards for his defensive skills.
Some of them are the Lombardi Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award, and the Outland Trophy.
NFL Career
Rookie and Initial Seasons
Following his college graduation, the athlete entered the 2014 NFL Draft. The former Pitt was picked in the first round and was the 13th 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.
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 Twenty-sixteen season.
He landed the 15th position in 2017’s NFL Top 100 Players. The following year he was again selected for the Pro Bowl. Furthermore, he was the Twenty-Seventeen 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 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 in 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 title. He also received the title in Week 5 of the 2020 season.
Aggression And Confrontation
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 $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.
However, his teammates helped break the potential fight. Rams coach Sean McVay later talked to the star defense 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
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.
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 secondborn was 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 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 a stakeholder in 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 1.2M 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 148.9k followers. Donald often shares football-related news and game highlights.
Along with the promotion of his foundation, AD99 Solutions, which provides athletic gear and opportunities to Pittsburgh youths.
Correspondingly, he boosts a start-up Company called Ready Nutrition. His fiancé is very supportive and often cheers him on from her Twitter handle. She also helps stimulate his foundation and brands.
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