PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – You don’t have to prod much to get peers and coaches to discuss the impact Aaron Donald has on the Pitt program and had in the NFL as his Pitt number 97 will be retired Saturday afternoon at Acrisure Stadium.
We talked to a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year, one of his friends & teammates who he won a Super Bowl with in LA. The long-time captain of the Steelers along with former opponents and a pair of Pitt coaches.
Heading into the 2021 season, Donald had been the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, three times NFL Defensive Player of the Year and All-Pro every season. He led the league in sacks (20.5) and tackles for loss (25) as a defensive tackle. But he was missing a championship. In Super Bowl LVI, Donald had a pair of sacks, two tackles for loss and three quarterback hits. Locking down the secondary on that team, was current Steelers safety Jalen Ramsey.
“Greatest defensive player to play this game, ever,” Ramsey said. “One of my really close friends, got a lot of respect for him. Got a lot of love for AD. That’s my guy, just the greatest.”
As for what made him great?
“The way he went about his work,” Ramsey said. “The way he studied. He wasn’t a super, super vocal guy, maybe here and there, especially during our Super Bowl run. He was a true leader by example the way he went to work. The way he went about his business. The way he was prepared. Never took vet days, sick days off. Was always out there as much as he could be, would be the first one out there. Just special, God given special.”
Donald is in a small fraternity of players winning Defensive Player of the Year, TJ Watt is in that group.
“I think it was cool that he would come back to Pitt and just to be able to see him train,” Watt said. “I got to meet him in the parking lot, which was really cool. To have the weight room named after him is really cool. Just a guy that seemed to work extremely hard and had that obsession about getting better. Had a hell of a career. It’s awesome they are doing it for him this weekend.”
Randy Bates wasn’t Donald’s defensive coordinator, but he wished he was and joked he’s going to try to slip him in for a few plays Saturday. What Bates saw was how his players could work with one of the best to ever do it.
“Aaron is a great young man,” Bates said. “We were blessed all of those years he was playing he would come back here and work and lift. It was not hard to see why he was the player he is. I think it helped our players to see what they had to do to have a chance to play in the NFL.”
“He’s engaged with our players. He’s approachable. He’s just a fantastic person, not just a great football player. I’m really excited for him to get his number retired.”
Cam Heyward’s father is a beloved, hard-nosed former Pitt Panther. Heyward understands how difficult it is to be that player on the field and off it.
“Not just a guy from Pittsburgh, a guy that embodied Pittsburgh, never forgot about Pittsburgh,” Heyward said. “Then you talk about his play, he was an Energizer Bunny for his group. He had all the pass rush moves. The premier pass-rusher of our generation as a defensive tackle.”
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Steelers offensive lineman Andrus Peat was a first-round pick and played against Donald numerous times having been in the league for 11 years.
“He’s definitely one of the best to ever do it,” Peat said. “Best player I ever played against. He’s a guy where you always have to know where he’s lined up on the field and you got to slide the protection to him as much as you can. He’s a dominant player.”
“He was just being him, a physical presence,” said Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen. “Letting everybody know what he does and then proving it, day-in and day-out, game-in and game-out. Just hearing about his work ethic and then seeing it on the field, it’s something you admire.”
The final words from the current Pitt head coach.
“Aaron Donald, I wish I got to coach Aaron Donald,” said Pat Narduzzi. “I’ve been able to spend a ton of time around him. Aaron is around a lot. When he was playing, he was here every summer. He was with our guys. He was coaching our guys up. The first thing I appreciate is all of the time he spent with all of our players over all of those years. He spends quality time. He’s a people person. He’s given back like a lot of NFL players don’t financially.”
“That jersey could have been retired years ago, maybe the day he walked out the door. This guy is way more deserving than a lot of people who have jerseys retired. This guy is special.”
“He doesn’t big-time you. I think he’s a Pitt man. It is how Pitt people are. It is how Pittsburgh people are. You talk about the hospitality of Pittsburgh people, they give back. Aaron is no different than Damar.”
“What a special player and person, happy for him and his family.”