'Ain't Where I Wanna Be!’ Rams’ Aaron Donald Reveals New Goal
There's been arguments made that Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald is the greatest defender in NFL history.
In nine seasons, he has been named a Pro Bowler every year, won three Defensive Player of the Year awards and been a seven-time First Team All-Pro, while compiling 490 tackles, 103 sacks, forcing 24 fumbles and hitting the quarterback 237 times. He's got a pretty compelling case entering Year 10, but Donald, who will not suit up in the preseason, has more he wants to work on before Week 1.
"I ain't where I want to be, but I feel like I'm getting better," Donald said. "I did some good things. I did some things that I didn't like. Me, personally, I didn't think I had the type of practice that I wanted to. I just got to watch the film and see what I did wrong or see what I need to do better. I'm always my worst critic, so got to continue to study, continue trying to find ways to be better."
The Pittsburgh native is recovering from offseason ankle surgery — an injury that limited him to 11 games last season and, ultimately, his fewest sack total of his career.
Donald said he's seen just about every slide protection there is in his nine years in the NFL, and he said the way he's trying to combat that is through watching film. He's also trying to work more on trying to shed those through "aggressive" and "violent" rips.
"When we're doing walkthrough stuff, practicing it, I'm never taking nothing for granted," Donald said. "It's stuff that I still need to work on, too, to this day, so just continue to just work and tune up a little things."
Donald will not travel with the team to Denver when the Rams face the Broncos in the preseason finale as he's expecting his fourth child and second with wife, Erica, "in a couple days," head coach Sean McVay announced Saturday.
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