Aaron Donald Enshrined in Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame

Entering the program as a modestly-ranked three-star recruit, Donald got his feet wet in 2010 ahead of three dominant seasons as a starter along the Panthers defensive line.

His staggering 28.5 tackles for loss as a senior in 2013 stands out among his best achievements in Pittsburgh. In contrast, Penn State's Abdul Carter led college football in that category last season with 24 in total.

At the end of 2013 stood a unanimous First Team All-American, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and winner of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Chuck Bednarik Award, the Lombardi Award, and the Outland Trophy among other accolades.

Donald became an obvious pick for the All-Rookie Team in 2014 on the heels of his 13th overall draft selection earlier that year by the Los Angeles Rams.

With plenty remaining in the tank, Donald retired after 10 pro seasons with 543 combined tackles, 176 tackles for loss, 111 sacks, 24 forced fumbles, and seven fumble recoveries among his 154 regular season appearances (including 150 starts). Throughout 11 post-season games, including a 2021 Super Bowl win, he tallied 34 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and six sacks.

A staggering accomplishment, Donald earned Pro Bowl honors in every one of his 10 seasons at the NFL level. Among his decade of excellence, the Pitt product also earned First Team All-Pro nods eight times, and a Super Bowl ring in 2021.

Among eight annual NFL Top 100 Player rankings he was eligible for, Donald finished among the 10 best five times, including number one (2019), number two (2021 and 2022), and number three finishes (2020), never falling below the Top 15 across the eight editions.