Steelers Legend Inspired Aaron Donald

A former Steelers defensive legend inspired the playing career of Aaron Donald.

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 -- The Pittsburgh Steelers and the rest of the NFL's offenses sleep better at night now that the legendary Aaron Donald is no longer in the league. He played 10 dominant seasons in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams, winning three Defensive Player of the Year awards, earning eight First Team All-Pro selections, 10 Pro Bowl selections, and a Super Bowl trophy.

He's a no-doubt Hall of Fame candidate and will likely be enshrined during his first year of eligibility. There was no one like Donald in the NFL, and it will be a long wait until the league sees a player of his caliber.

For the Steelers, they've always held a special place for Aaron Donald and vice versa. Donald was born in Pittsburgh, played his high school football at Penn Hills High School, and went on to star at the University of Pittsburgh.

For Donald, the Steelers and their defensive units of the early 2000's were extremely inspirational and motivating for his career. He recently appeared on The Pivot podcast, where he discussed his retirement and more with the hosts. Speaking about what got him interested in footballl and the NFL dream, Donald discussed former Steelers' great and fan-favorite, Casey Hampton.

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After a decorated 10-year career that included eight first-team All-Pros, 10 Pro Bowls, a Super Bowl championship, three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald announced his retirement earlier this offseason. Donald felt like there was nothing else to accomplish. He was at peace with his career.

Donald recently appeared on The Pivot podcast to reflect on his Hall of Fame career and talk about adjusting to life without football.

When discussing his childhood in Pittsburgh, Donald said he came from a football family and was a Steelers fan growing up. Being a defensive tackle, one of the players that he kept a close eye on was five-time Pro Bowl nose tackle Casey Hampton.

“You got Big Casey Hampton, one of the biggest guys, super quick though, you know what I’m saying," he said. "He was so quick. Nobody did it better... And I don’t understand why people don’t talk about this guy enough, but that’s different for me because I got to watch him a lot in person. He played his role. I seen him do some stuff where he would twist that stance a little bit, hit that quick swimmer, get in the backfield like that, and make a TFL (tackle for loss)."

It was evident on the field that Donald took tips and traits from Hampton and some of the other Steelers defensive linemen of that era and then cranked them up to eleven. Donald posted 176 tackles for loss, 111 sacks, and 24 forced fumbles over his career. Canton and the Hall of Fame are waiting for Donald, but it's awesome to see how much the Steelers inspired the journey that took him there.

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