Aaron Donald

Aaron Donald is considered one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history, having spent all 10 of his professional seasons with the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams. Born in Pittsburgh in 1991, he won a record three Defensive Player of the Year awards, earned 10 consecutive Pro Bowl selections, and received eight first-team All-Pro honors, ultimately securing a victory in Super Bowl LVI. Before going pro, he starred at the University of Pittsburgh, sweeping major college awards in 2013, and he later had his No. 97 jersey retired in 2025 before his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2026. Drafted 13th overall in 2014, he set the record for the fastest 40-yard dash by a defensive tackle at the NFL Combine, clocking an impressive 4.68 seconds. Growing up in a working-class family, his father instilled a strict 4:30 a.m. workout routine starting at age 12, which forged the relentless work ethic that defined his remarkable career.