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Sarah Barshop, ESPN Staff WriterMar 22, 2024, 07:25 PM ET
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- Sarah Barshop covers the Los Angeles Rams for ESPN. She signed up with ESPN in 2016 to cover the Green Bay Packers for ESPN Milwaukee. She then transferred to Houston to cover the Texans. She pertained to ESPN after working as an author and editor for Sports Illustrated. You can follow her on Twitter @sarahbarshop.
LOS ANGELES– In his very first interview considering that revealing his retirement from the NFL, previous Los Angeles Rams protective deal with Aaron Donald stated Friday he is “leaving at peace” and on his own terms.
“I’m total,” Donald stated in an interview with his other half, Erica. “I’m complete. I believe the enthusiasm to play the video game is no longer there for me. I will constantly like football, however to think of going through another camp and another 17-[game] season, I simply do not got the desire to wish to press myself to do that no more.
“I’m stressed out. The very best method to state it is I’m complete, I’m total. I’m pleased with what I had the ability to perform in 10 years.”
Donald revealed his retirement on March 15 after 10 seasons. In those 10 seasons, Donald was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, an eight-time first-team All-Pro, a 10-time Pro Bowl choice and the 2014 Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Donald completed his profession with 111 sacks, 2nd most amongst main protective deals with in a profession (behind John Randle’s 137.5) considering that private sacks ended up being a main fact in 1982. He holds the Rams’ franchise record for profession sacks.
Last season, Donald had 8 sacks and 53 overall takes on in 16 video games and was called first-team All-Pro.
“I achieved whatever and more than I even believed was possible,” Donald stated. “Coming to the NFL, I simply wished to arrive and be the very best defensive take on. To be thought about the finest gamer in the National Football League, to be thought about the finest protective gamer in the National Football League, to win as numerous private awards I did and win … I simply feel like it’s absolutely nothing I didn’t get to feel as a specific success to group success.”
Donald is among 3 gamers to win the Defensive Player of the Year award 3 times, together with Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor and J.J. Watt. The award was very first offered in 1971.
Donald stated this was not the very first time he thought about retirement. He composed a retirement letter after winning Super Bowl LVI with the Rams that would have worked May 9, 2022. Eventually, Donald stated, after speaking with head coach Sean McVay, he recognized he wasn’t prepared to retire.
“It’s difficult to leave after winning a Super Bowl,” Donald stated. “You wish to experience that once again since that’s the supreme high.”
He is retiring,