Inside The Panthers

Aaron Donald Enshrined in Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame

Aaron Donald officially cemented among all-time greatest Pitt Panthers.
Kevin Sinclair|
Nov 23, 2013; Syracuse, NY, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers defensive lineman Aaron Donald (97) is blocked by Syracuse Orange guard Nick Robinson (68) during the second quarter at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images
Nov 23, 2013; Syracuse, NY, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers defensive lineman Aaron Donald (97) is blocked by Syracuse Orange guard Nick Robinson (68) during the second quarter at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

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Not a soul in the greater Pittsburgh area was surprised to learn that Aaron Donald is officially set to be permanently embedded alongside the all-time great Pitt Panthers.

Anyone who knows anything about the product of Pittsburgh's own Penn Hills High School knew it was only a matter of time before he earned the nod from his alma mater.

That time came last week when the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2025 was named by Athletic Director Allen Greene on Wednesday, May 14. The eight-member class will be officially enshrined on Friday, September 26, per a press release from PittsburghPanthers.com.

Donald headlines the latest Hall of Fame class alongside Pitt football alumnus Bob Jury. The former third-round pick recorded a league-leading 10 interceptions in 1976 when Pitt became the consensus national champions. Jury was All-Big East that year and the next when he also earned First Team All-American honors (1977).

Outside of the pair of football alumni, the 2025 Hall of Fame class is filled out by Jerry DeMuro (men's swimming), Jessica Dignon (softball), Wanda Randolph (women's basketball), Amanda Walker (women's track and field), Sam Young (men's basketball), and Jack Anderson (Pitt band).

As for Donald, his mark on Pitt football will last forever.

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.

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Kevin Sinclair
KEVIN SINCLAIR

Kevin Sinclair writes coverage of the Pitt Panthers along with the Baltimore Ravens, the New England Patriots, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Tennessee Titans for On SI. Previously, he was a recruiting reporter and managing editor at Irish Illustrated, the privately-owned Notre Dame site within the 247Sports Network, for over seven-and-a-half years. Kevin studied multimedia journalism and has been a sports writer for nearly a decade.

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