Former Los Angeles Rams superstar defensive tackle Aaron Donald retired this offseason and has left behind an all-time great legacy as one of the best defensive players in NFL history with ten Pro Bowl selections in his ten years in the league, eight First-Team All-Pro selections, three Defensive Player of the Year awards, 111 sacks, and a Super Bowl championship.
He did it all while being undersized at his position, and he recently admitted to it being more of an advantage than a burden like many would think.
Donald recently appeared on the show Come Get Some, and said that being shorter than the average defensive tackle helped him, noting “That helped a lot. Being a 6’1″ defensive tackle playing against a guy that’s 6’5″, that’s a lot for a guy.” and added that his quickness and being lower than pad level helped him keep offensive linemen guessing.
Aaron Donald says his shorter height helped him be great.
“That helped a lot. Being a 6’1 defensive tackle, playing against a guy that 6’5, that’s a whole lot for a guy.”
–@AaronDonald97 pic.twitter.com/UAZRucSabV
— COME GET SOME (@ComeGetSomeShow) July 21, 2024
Donald packed a ton of power into his slightly smaller frame and it was evidenced during his NFL Combine performance when he put up 35 reps on the bench press while running a 4.68 40-yard dash, which is .01 seconds away from being the fastest time by a defensive tackle in over 20 years.
Teams will try to find another Donald in the draft for years to come, but while there may be other players his size, it’s nearly impossible to find another at his size at the defensive tackle position who is as skilled and as consistent as he was.
Donald accomplished everything there is to accomplish in the NFL, and fans are going to miss watching him when they turn on Rams games this year and don’t see big No. 99 in the middle of that defense wreaking havoc.
The post Aaron Donald Has An Honest Admission About His Shorter Height appeared first on The Cold Wire.