Brimming With Enthusiasm, Aaron Donkor Quickly Finding His Way With Seahawks

Still a relative novice to the game of football, Donkor made his share of mistakes in his first NFL practice with the Seahawks. But he adapted quickly and attacked each rep with great energy and enthusiasm, making a great first impression on Pete Carroll and his staff.

RENTON, WA - Taking an NFL practice field for the first time as a Seahawk, Aaron Donkor was quickly thrown into the fire. With smaller groups than usual for the team's annual rookie minicamp, he was one of only three hybrid linebackers/edge rushers doing individual drills, working alongside 2020 second-round pick Darrell Taylor and Marcus Webb.

During the early moments of warm-ups, after opening the session timing the snap out of a two-point stance off the edge and tackling a "dummy" quarterback, the trio of players hit the five-man sled to work on their hand technique, footwork, and generating power with their lower body.

On his first rep, Donkor hesitated, barely popping the pad and nearly standing upright while doing so. He looked the part of a player who has not played much football. His position coach barked at him to get lower and "fire those hands," patiently demonstrating what he wanted to see from him and then urging him onto the next pad down the sled.

Seahawks rookie linebacker Aaron Donkor (#43) hits a sled during the team's opening rookie minicamp practice session

Proving to be a quick learner and eager to perform for his new team, Donkor did indeed get lower on the very next rep, firing out of his athletic stance and aggressively shooting his hands into the sled, drawing the approval of his coach and teammates. He wasn't flawless by any means, but his form improved with each rep down the sled, and it was obvious the young defender was having a blast in the process.

"He had a good first day, and we'll learn a lot more as we go, but he will not be without a lot of excitement and enthusiasm," coach Pete Carroll smiled. "He was jacked up today. He's been coming around the office, we've seen him a couple times in the first day already. So he's trying to find his way a little bit, but he's doing well."

One of 31 players on Seattle's roster for the minicamp, the 26-year old Donkor was allocated to the team as part of the NFL's International Player Pathway Program (IPPP) earlier this month. Formerly a standout basketball player, he took up football five years ago with the Dusseldorf Panthers of the German Football League, producing 74 tackles and 14.0 sacks in his first extensive action.

Catching the attention of schools in the United States, Donkor earned Junior College All-American recognition at the New Mexico Military Institute in 2019, where he produced a remarkable 11.5 sacks in only four games. He then played one season at Arkansas State, generating 25 tackles in six games for the Red Wolves, before applying for the pathway program and participating in the NFL's International Combine.

"I think the program is great, I love that we're doing that and making the opportunities available to people from other areas," Carroll said of the IPPP initiative.

Now in the fifth year of the program, several players allocated to teams through the IPPP have gone on to find success in the NFL. Patriots fullback Jakob Johnson became the first such player to be activated to an active roster in 2019 and started 11 games for the team in 2020, while Bills defensive end Efe Obada generated 5.5 sacks as a member of the Panthers last season.

Jordan Mailata, a former Australian rugby player who tried out for the International Player Pathway Program, was also a seventh-round pick for the Eagles in 2018. He started 10 games at left tackle and remains on their roster heading into the 2021 season.

As one of four players awarded to NFC West squads this year through the program, the uber-athletic Donkor will be aiming to join Johnson, Obada, and Mailata as the next foreign-born prospect to break through in the league. He will be competing for a spot with the Seahawks as a linebacker and as Carroll told him on their initial Zoom call, he will eventually be given ample opportunities to impress on special teams.

While his chances of making the team won't truly be known until the real bullets start flying in late July, Carroll and his staff already love the energy and passion Donkor exudes on and off the field and they are excited for the opportunity to develop him.

"Aaron is really charged up, he's really excited about it. The first day out here he fits in with everybody, he doesn't look like it's too big for him at this early stage. I'm anxious to follow his enthusiasm, and I know sending the message back home, it is a big deal."