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Aaron Donald has achieved pretty much everything he ever wanted in football and if he were to retire today, he would walk into the Hall of Fame. He is just 31, hence retirement might still be some time away, but what he has achieved in the game already is phenomenal.
Donald has made it to the Pro Bowl eight times in his career, which is every year he has played in the NFL. He has been named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year a record three times. He was the sack leader in 2018 (20.5 sacks) as a defensive tackle and won the Super Bowl LVI with the Los Angeles Rams last season. Anyone who saw him harassing Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals would have seen an athlete built for professional football.
However, that has not always been the case for Aaron Donald. He was an exceptional college performer and was taken by the Los Angeles Rams in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. But there were major doubts about him leading up to the draft that had nothing to do with his performances, but rather his height.
His height at the NFL Combine was measured at 6' 0-3/8". That puts him just a touch above 6'. It is not the typical size and frame for a defensive tackle. Due to this perceived issue, he was given a prospect grade of only 5.9 by NFL's official website. This translates to someone being an average backup or a special-teamer. It's safe to say that that projection was way off.
The main negative listed marginal height and frame was nearly maxed out. His height was the primary reason his grade fell so low. But what that ignored is that perhaps it was his frame that made him such a good player. He was quick off the snap and had natural leverage. With a smaller frame and lower center of gravity, it gave Aaron Donald a natural advantage. So, one could argue that his height turned out to be an asset rather than a liability.
Thankfully for the Los Angeles Rams, they saw beyond his height and recognized a mature player who was also a natural leader. His 4.68 40-yard dash and his college resume were certainly convincing. Eight years later, it seems ridiculous that he was ever judged because of his height.
Aaron Donald's height and build was nurtured by his father
The explosive pace and raw passion that we see from Aaron Donald week in and week out may never have happened without his father. When he broke the sacks record for as a defensive tackle in 2018, he sent a note to his father saying he had created a monster.
That is literally true because, as Aaron Donald recollects, he was a lazy kid growing up in a working-class neighborhood. It had the potential to go very wrong but his father Archie Donald had other plans. He set up a gym and invited the 12-year old to come down and practice with him from 4:30am every day. They would work out for two hours every day and that helped shape the younger Donald into who he is today.
By the time Donald was in high school, he was hooked on the routine and that served him well in his career going forward. The strength that he possesses makes him one of the most ferocious defensive players of all time. No one cares about your height when you are that good at everything else.
