Rams Aaron Donald Signs With Donda Sports, Joins Ex-NFL Star Antonio Brown
Aaron Donald is one of the NFL's most unique superstars. So it's only fitting that the Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle gets an equally unique business partnership to match.
On the most recent Sunday release of the I AM ATHLETE podcast, Donald announced to podcast hosts and former NFL stars LeSean McCoy, Brandon Marshall, and Adam "Pacman" Jones that he has struck a deal with Kanye West's Donda Sports.
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Donald, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and seven-time All-Pro, said the collab with Ye was a "no-brainer."
"It was an opportunity that came to us, me and (my wife), and it made sense," Donald said. "Hearing the whole spectrum of what they were going to be bringing, the whole family atmosphere that they got in Donda Sports. Not just me, but my wife being a part of that. For me, it was a no-brainer."
The eight-time Pro-Bowler has been absent for the first part of Rams voluntary OTAs and has reportedly been in discussion with the front office on a contract extension. In the meantime, he's looking for ways to expand his influence with things other than football.
"I think it's a helluva opportunity to open up a lot of different doors and a lot of different things outside of football that I wanna be involved in, that I wanna do, that my wife wanna do. So to be a part of that, and be one of the best first athletes to be a part of that, it’s pretty dope. We're excited about it, and we're gonna see where this thing goes.
Donald is the first athlete to sign with the endeavor, but joins one former NFL star who's currently serving as president of Donda Sports. Prior to watching Donald at Super Bowl LVI this past February, former Steelers and Bucs receiver Antonio Brown announced his presidency on Instagram in the only way he can - by booking a $2 million owner's suite at SoFi Stadium for the big game.
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"Donda is about ownership, empowerment, and discovering the next superheroes, Brown wrote. "This is for the people who counted us out, for everyone who said we can’t— we say WE WILL. As President, it was important to me to book the Donda Suite for this years SUPERBOWL LVI."
Brown is a seven-time Pro-Bowler and four-time All-Pro selection. After nine terrific years in Pittsburgh and winning a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay in 2020, he had an infamous exit from the league in a sideline meltdown this past season that became one of the biggest stories in the NFL this year. The Bucs released him shortly after.
The pair will now be two of the primary faces of a business partnership that is sure to draw more major names in sports in the foreseeable future.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @szzevenn
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