Pitt Offensive Linemen Sing Aaron Donald's Praises

PITTSBURGH - Ryan Baer and BJ Williams may walk the halls that former Pitt Panthers superstar Aaron Donald once walked, but they've never played against him. Baer, who is the current Pitt left tackle, feels like there are a lot of offensive linemen who feel fortunate they don't have to line up across from him.

"I'm sure there's a lot of offensive linemen happy he's not in the league anymore," Baer said with a grin this week.

Donald, who retired from the NFL following a guaranteed first ballot Hall of Fame career, is having his jersey retired by Pitt this season. He's perhaps best known for his dominance in the NFL, but he dominated with the Panthers first.

He recorded 181 tackles (115 solo), 66 tackles for loss, 29.5 sacks, six forced fumbles and 10 pass breakups during his Pitt career - putting together one of the most dominant defensive performances in recent memory as a senior.

He recorded 59 tackles (43 solo), 28.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, four forced fumbles and three pass breakups on the way to earning unanimous All-American honors and a plethora of individual awards — including Bronko Nagurski, Chuck Bednarik, Lombardi and Outland honors.

Nov 8, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams former player Aaron Donald holds the LAFC falcon as Erica Donald looks on before a 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One match between LAFC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BMO Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Alex Gallardo-Imagn Images | Alex Gallardo-Imagn Images

Donald was selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the then St. Louis Rams following that stellar senior campaign.

And in 10 NFL seasons, earning 10 Pro Bowl nods and eight first-team All-Pro nods, he emerged as not just one of the best defenders of his era but in all of NFL history.

"Obviously, someone like that, what, two Defensive Player of the Year - or three? Yeah, he was just dominant," Baer said. "That's not something you see, especially out of a D-tackle, his ability to rush the passer and especially while getting double-teamed and triple-teamed."

Donald is one of the just three players in NFL history to win Defensive Player of the Year three times, and the only interior defensive lineman to do so, and he did it all at 6-foot, 280 pounds. He finished his NFL career with 543 tackles (340 solo), 176 tackles for loss, 111 sacks, 24 forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries and 21 pass breakups.

"He's just a freak, you know? He's like 6-foot, but he has a lot of power behind that 6-foot," Williams said. "He has that natural leverage, so I don't think anybody would want to block him 1-on-1."

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