Meticulous organization, attention to detail, and formative years spent in “The Dungeon.” How Aaron Donald became Aaron Donald, and the promise he intends to keep on Sunday
In a text message exchange, Jordan said he wasn’t aware of the statistic PFF unearthed. He figured Donald had the most and called him a “different breed,” then noted just how different, because, unlike Jordan, Donald rushes quarterbacks from the interior of the line mostly, rather than from the edge. “Legendary, for sure,” Jordan wrote.
Donald stayed close to home, went to Pitt and continued to sharpen his routines. The Panthers had noticed him during film study, as one coach told the room, “Nobody can block him.” Donald put more weight on, until he tipped the scales at 280 and could bench more than 500 pounds. But even as he wrecked opponents and their plans, he worried about skepticism from NFL teams, who would undoubtedly find him, at 6'1", undersized.
Smith started calling any executive he had contact information for. He left one voicemail for the Rams general manager, Les Snead. “Look, man,” Smith told him, “this dude is the truth.” Then, the crescendo: “The best defensive lineman in the draft is this guy!” Waufle said, voice booming. Then he took Donald’s nameplate and slapped it atop the board of rankings for defensive linemen, above even Jadeveon Clowney, who would be taken first overall. “It’s Aaron Donald!” Waufle shouted. “He’s the best player I’ve ever seen!”
Donald beat linemen with those hands and arms. He beat them with power and explosiveness. He beat them with the agility and footwork of a ballet dancer. He also beat them with all those mornings in The Dungeon, with organization, attention to detail and continued film study. He beat linemen by studying their feet placement, or where the quarterbacks they protected liked to settle in the pocket. Sometimes, Sean McVay noticed a light on in the defensive line room late at night. It was Donald.
As Donald sought a new contract in 2017 and ’18, he staged training camp holdouts. But he told LaSala, “I’ll be fine, I’ll get to play football, and they’ll pay me. And when I get back, I’m still going to be the best player in the world.” When Mack signed an extension with Chicago, LaSala joked with Donald that Mack must be the better player. “Come on, coach,” LaSala recalls Donald responding. That sentence marked the most boastful thing he ever heard Donald say.
Everyone seems to feel the same way. Smith wants Donald to win because he’s a superstar who never acted like one, because he texts Smith’s son on his birthday and never big-times any request. Rams Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson wants Donald to win because a player of his caliber deserves a defining moment for his legacy, because, Dickerson says, “he’s Reggie White incarnate, true greatness.” Goff wants Donald to win because of the classy text that Donald sent him after the trade.
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