Many view former Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald as the greatest player to ever don the horns, and some would even argue he’s the greatest NFL defensive player of all-time. No doubt jersey retirements
and Hall of Fame jackets were in Donald’s future after his retirement in 2024, and on Monday the first post-retirement domino fell as it was announced his alma mater the University of Pittsburgh would be retiring his college No. 97 jersey during their November 15, 2025, game against Notre Dame.
Athletic director Allen Greene surprised Donald with the news in a video shared by the school.
“It’s hard to put into words what it means to have my jersey retired,” Donald said in the statement released by Pitt announcing the retirement. “Born and raised in Pittsburgh, I’m grateful to the University of Pittsburgh for taking a chance on me when so many others wouldn’t. I accomplished more in my career than I ever dreamed of, and for that I’m truly blessed. To soon see my number alongside other Pitt greats is an honor beyond measure. I will always love this University.”
Donald arrived at Pitt in 2010 and will be the 11th Panther to have their number retired, while only being the second defensive lineman to earn the honor. A defensive player’s jersey hasn’t been retired by Pitt since Joe Schmidt’s No. 67 in 1997.
A Pittsburgh native himself, Donald was a three-star recruit from Penn Hills High School who would go on to be voted unanimous All-American in 2013, along with the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. This lead to him being selected by the Rams, the only team he would play for his entire career, in the first round of the NFL Draft.
He continued to support the University of Pittsburgh well past his college playing days, and in 2019, the Panthers renamed the bottom floor of their practice facility in Pittsburgh’s South Side as the Aaron Donald Football Performance Center after Donald made a seven-figure donation to the football program.
In the NFL, Donald earned Defensive Rookie of the Year, 3x NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, 10x Pro Bowls, a place on the NFL’s 2010 All-Decade team and a Super Bowl LVI Lombardi Trophy. He ended his career with 111.0 sacks, 543 total tackles, 176 tackles for loss, and 24 forced fumbles.
“Aaron Donald is mainly known for being one of the best defensive players in the NFL throughout the 2010s and into the 2020s. However, before becoming a superstar with the Los Angeles Rams, he was a dominant defensive lineman at Pitt. The school recently announced that it will retire his No. 97 jersey, and Donald’s reaction to the honor was priceless,” said Max Dorsey of Pro Football Network.”
This will probably not be the last jersey retirement coming Donald’s way, as it would be very surprising if the Los Angeles Rams did not eventually hang his #99 jersey in the rafters. An NFL Hall of Fame gold jacket also feels like a shoo-in for someone who has impacted the history of the game in such an unforgettable way.
Do you think Aaron Donald is a first ballot Hall of Famer? Would you ever want anyone to wear #99 on the Rams again? Let us know below!
