Pitt Legend Makes ESPN's Greatest Athletes List

Pitt Panthers legend Aaron Donald made ESPN's list of Top 100 Professional Athletes since 2000.

Nov 26, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- Pitt Panthers legend defensive tackle Aaron Donald continues to receive recognition for his play, as he made a list recognizing some of the best athletes in recent history.

ESPN released a list of the top 100 professional athletes since 2000, and placed Donald at No. 20

Sarah Barshop, the Los Angeles Rams reporter for ESPN, wrote about what made Donald one of the best players in franchise history and in the NFL during his time.

"Donald went into his eighth NFL season with many significant achievements on the field for the Rams: Defensive Rookie of the Year, three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards and seven Pro Bowls to start his career," Barshop wrote.

"The one thing he was missing? A Super Bowl ring. He and the Rams won that during the 2021 season, beating the Cincinnati Bengals in a game that went down to the wire. On fourth down in a three-point game, Donald pressured Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and forced an incomplete pass to essentially end the game. Donald's celebration will be remembered, too: He ran around with his arms outstretched and then pointed at his left ring finger, where his first Super Bowl ring would go."

Donald was the second highest NFL player to make the list with Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes coming in first at No. 17 overall.

He is the second former Pitt football star to make the list, as cornerback Darrelle Revis came in at No. 96.

Donald, an alum of Penn Hills, played for Pitt from 2010-13 and starred in 2013, making 59 tackles (43 solo), 28.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, four forced fumbles and three passes defended.

This earned him ACC Defensive Player of the Year and unanimous All-American honors. He also secured the Chuck Bednarik Award and Bronco Nagurski Trophy for best defensive player, the Outland Trophy for best interior lineman and the Lombardi Award for the player who embodies the spirit of Hall of Fame head coach Vince Lombardi.

Donald also had an excellent NFL career with the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams, making the Pro Bowl all 10 seasons he played in, three NFL Defensive Player of the Year Awards and is a member of the NFL All-2010s Decade Team.

He finished his NFL career with 150 starts in 154 games he played in over 10 seasons from 2014-23, 543 tackles (340 solo), 176 tackles for loss, 260 quarterback hits, 111.0 sacks, 24 forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries and 21 passes defended.

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