For Aaron Donald, this Sunday’s game against the Steelers might as well be Cleveland, maybe Cincinnati. or Baltimore. The Rams superstar grew up in Pittsburgh, but the emotions just aren’t there anymore.
The best defensive tackle in the league loved the Steelers for so many years But dare we say it, when the Rams play host to the Steelers this Sunday, it’ll be just another opponent.
“I was just talking to my dad like last week about playing the Steelers this week,” Aaron Donald told reporters. “He was asking me, ‘You get to play the hometown, how does it feel?’ I was like, ‘My first year (in 2015), I was excited about it.’ Obviously going back to Pittsburgh (in 2019), it was exciting, but now it’s just like, it’s cool to play against the team that I grew up watching and all that, but it’s just another week. [I] want to find a way to be successful, try to find a way to win this game but there’s not extra excitement this time playing against the Steelers, just another week.”
But sometime Sunday, when the teams meet at SoFi Stadium, no doubt Aaron Donald will feel some sort of emotional tug. That can’t be helped.
“We all grew up big Steelers fans,” Donald says. “I still consider myself a Steelers fan, obviously, until we got to play them. I still look to see if they’re doing good. I’m still a Steelers fan myself until we got to suit up and play against them. So (the) whole family is still Steelers fans, but now more Rams fans but it’s pretty cool..”
Donald still hasn’t notched a win against his childhood favorite. But he has harassed Steelers quarterbacks. In two career games, he’s posted two sacks and a safety. So far this season, Donald has 25 tackles with 2.5 sacks. He’s also registered eight hits on the quarterback.
Once football season ends, Donald does return to the Pittsburgh area. His two oldest children live there. So does the rest of his family. And he works out at Pitt, where he starred for the Panthers. Because he spends so much time in the city, he knows several Steelers, including quarterback Kenny Pickett.
The Steelers were off last weekend. And Pittsburgh fans are aware that the Sunday after a bye usually is a winning one for their favorite team. The Steelers are 12-4 after a bye during the Mike Tomlin era. They’ve won their last six following an open date. Maybe the Pittsburgh offense miraculously improved last week. But dealing with Aaron Donald should be a huge part of the game plan.
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