Although Aaron Donald has provided the Los Angeles Rams with plenty of bang for their buck over the years, he proved to be even more generous off the field this offseason.
Despite all his success, Donald always remains close to home by training at his alma mater in the offseason. He has now rewarded his former school, the University of Pittsburgh, by making a seven-figure pledge to Pitt Football’s Championship Fund.
The money will be built toward building a football program that has helped future NFL stars like himself. On top of all that, the training center in which he has poured countless hours of work will now be named after him.
Donald admits he was a bit overwhelmed with emotion when he found out the news, via Clarence Daniels of the team’s official website:
“They showed me and I almost cried, like you are going to put my name on that building? It’s more of a dream come true,” Donald said. “You’re just not helping somebody, you’re helping the university, the future football players, you’re leaving a legacy behind that’s going to be there forever, so it’s surreal.”
Donald’s comments are certainly understandable. He has come a long way since his college days and is a perfect example of a Pittsburgh native living out their childhood dream.
The undersized, interior lineman emerged into a star while at Pitt and had accumulated every notable honor a defensive player can achieve. Despite his massive success in college, he was still overlooked during the draft process and wound up slipping to the Rams with the 13th overall pick.
Donald is long past the days of proving the doubters wrong as the reigning two-time Defensive Player of the Year. He has now been immortalized in the annals of Pittsburgh history.
