Pitt's Aaron Donald Named Top 15 Player of Century

Pitt Panthers legendary defensive tackle Aaron Donald was named in the top 15 college football players of the 21st century.

October 15, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) during the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- Legendary defensive tackle Aaron Donald receives a great amount of attention for his play in his professional career, but his performances for the Pitt Panthers made him into one of the best to ever do it.

ESPN writer Bill Connelly wrote his list of the top 25 college football players of the 21st century and placed Donald at No. 14 overall. He placed him as the second highest defensive tackle, behind Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh at No. 1 overall, and the third highest defensive lineman, behind Arizona State defensive end Terrell Suggs at No. 11 overall.

"A midlevel recruit who began his career as a backup, Donald just slowly got better, and better, and better," Connelly wrote. "He enjoyed a lovely breakout season with 16 TFLs and 11 sacks as a sophomore in 2011, he jumped to 18.5 TFLs (as the team's No. 3 leading tackler!) as a junior, thenreallytook off. As a senior in 2013, he made 28.5 TFLs -- including six against Georgia Tech's option attack -- with 11 sacks. And because he was listed only at 6-1, 280 pounds, 12 NFL teams somehow talked themselves out of drafting him in 2014. He fell all the way to the Rams at 13th."

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.

Donald was one of two Pitt players on the list, along with Larry Fitzgerald, who was the highest wide receiver on the list.

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