When Sean McVay was hired by the Los Angeles Rams in 2017, the hope was that his offensive foresight, paired with the strong defensive identity already in place, would help the team find success in their return to California. What occurred was beyond anyone's initial expectations.
McVay's scheme and the defense led by Aaron Donald took the NFL by storm, with their story leading to victory in Super Bowl LVI. Over the years, McVay and Donald have formed a tight bond that remained strong even after Donald's retirement. Seeing the person beyond the field in a different light, McVay would always speak highly of Donald, even when he wasn't physically around.
Now that they are back in the building together, McVay spoke about how he sees Donald now that they're
chasing championships again. McVay said he loves the NFL legend, calling him an inspiration.
“If anything, I think he's just maturing, just continuing," said McVay. "He's always been such an impressive human being to me in all parts of his life, but you're seeing a guy that's just accumulated wisdom as he's growing and becoming more experienced as a father, more experienced as a husband. He's all about the right stuff. He's one of those guys that inspires me. Because I think you become the company you keep and you can never outperform your inner circle.
"When you're around him, he's the epitome of modeling the way with just how he moves. I've said it before, he's the epitome of a man's man in terms of the quality of human, the way that he was raised from a great family. He's a total stud. I love this guy.”
Donald is set to make his return on Monday night when the Los Angeles Rams take on the New York Giants at SoFi Stadium.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Sean McVay explains why Aaron Donald is an inspiration to him
