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Aaron Donald wins NFL Defensive Player of the…
Aaron Donald wins NFL Defensive Player of the Year award again, leads Rams into Super Bowl
Dominant DT wins the NFL's Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year award for the second consecutive year
Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald celebrates after sacking Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in a game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sunday, October 28, 2018. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
By Rich Hammond | rhammond@scng.com | Orange County Register
PUBLISHED: February 2, 2019 at 3:57 p.m. | UPDATED: February 2, 2019 at 5:32 p.m.
ATLANTA — Aaron Donald smiled and giggled this week, a departure from his yes-sir, no-sir nature. Donald is all business, but when business got done, Donald seemed to exhale. Opposing quarterbacks did not.
As recently as last August, nobody found humor in Donald's situation. He didn't have the a new contract and the Rams didn't have their star defensive lineman in training camp because of that year-long dispute. Now, Donald is a millionaire, 135 times over, and the Rams are in the Super Bowl.
The odyssey ends Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where the Rams will play New England for the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Donald earned more hardware Saturday night, when he won the NFL's Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year award for a second consecutive year.
"It would be good," Donald plainly said this week, when asked what he thought of potentially winning again.
Donald didn't attend the NFL awards ceremony, because the Rams' attention – not to mention curfew time – got solely directed to Patriots, but the next time he cares about a personal achievement will be the first.
He's the third player to ever win defensive MVP honor in consecutive years? Sure. He recorded 20.5 sacks this season, two short of the NFL's single-season record? OK. The league MVP chatter? Whatever. During a dizzying week of media, Donald deflected questions about himself. He only cared about the Super Bowl.
"This is what I dreamed about," Donald said. "This is what I worked for. This is what you train for, is to play in big games like this and have the opportunity to play for a world championship. There was a lot of hard work we did as a team. A lot of hard work I did individually. To be at this stage and be here now, it's a blessing, but we've still got one more game to finish strong and we've just got to do it."
Donald can be a tough character to crack. In media interactions, he's typically polite but brief and clearly uncomfortable when asked – as regularly happens – about the way he dominates games.
There's been a certain lightness to Donald this season, though, evident since that late-August day when Donald signed a six-year, $135-million contract extension. Beyond the money, the Rams sent a message. Yes, they have a high-powered offense, but the Rams became Donald's team that day.
"I remember talking to him and he was so excited about it," defensive line coach Bill Johnson said. "It was like, 'Oh man, they finally got it done and we can finally get to work.' He's never been a different guy, whatsoever, but yeah, I'd say he's a little more relaxed. That was a big ordeal and a very important time in his life and for his family. I'm sure it was a load off his back."
It's been a different Donald. He laughs when asked if he will attend training camp next year, a question that has been a running joke with beat writers. He talked of how he cried on the team bus after he set the Rams' single-season sack record. He spoke of his gratitude toward the Rams, and how "thank you ain't enough."
Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald speaks to reporters during a media availability ahead of the NFL Super Bowl 53 football game against the New England Patriots Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Los Angeles Rams' Aaron Donald and Todd Gurley have some fun during Opening Night for the NFL Super Bowl 53 football game Monday, Jan. 28, 2019, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) ORG XMIT: RIV2019012816534867
Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald (99) Los Angeles Rams nose tackle Ndamukong Suh (93) and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) after overtime of the NFL football NFC championship game against the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019, in New Orleans. The Rams won 26-23.(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Defensive end Aaron Donald #99 of the Los Angeles Rams with his kids after defeating the Dallas Cowboys 30-22 during a NFL playoff football game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, January 12, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
defensive end Aaron Donald #99 of the Los Angeles Rams tackles running back Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys for a loss of yards in the second half of a NFL playoff football game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, January 12, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. Los Angeles Rams won 30-22. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Green Bay Packers offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga #75 blocks Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald #99 in the first half of the game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles on Sunday, October 28, 2018. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald #99 sacks Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers #12 in the second half of the game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles on Sunday, October 28, 2018. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald #99 runs on to the field during player introductions at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles on Sunday, December 16, 2018. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
The San Francisco 49ers double team Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald (99) as he rushes the quarterback in Los Angeles on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2018. The Rams beat the 49ers 48-32. (Photo by Scott Varley, Daily Breeze/SCNG)
Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald (99) jokes around as he sits out the fourth quarter in Los Angeles on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2018. The Rams beat the 49ers 48-32. (Photo by Scott Varley, Daily Breeze/SCNG)
FILE – In this Oct. 28, 2018, file photo, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald reacts after sacking Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers during the second half of an NFL football game, in Los Angeles. Rams All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald topped the NFL with 20 1-2 sacks. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
FILE – In this Jan. 6, 2018, file photo, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) cheers on the crowd during the first half of an NFL football wild-card playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons, in Los Angeles. All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald has agreed to a massive new contract with the Los Angeles Rams, ending his second consecutive preseason holdout as the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history. The Rams on Friday, Aug. 31, 2018, announced a new six-year deal through 2024 for Donald, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo, File)
FILE – In this Nov. 26, 2017, file photo, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, right, gets sacked by Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald during the first half of an NFL football game, in Los Angeles. The Rams, with unanimous All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald take on the Saints in the NFC Championship on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019.(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald, center, smiles with teammates on the bench late in the second half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
FILE – In this Nov. 11, 2018, file photo, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) battles Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald (93) for a ball Wilson lost on a fumble and returned for a touchdown by defensive end Dante Fowler during the second half in an NFL football game in Los Angeles. The Rams know they've got to pressure Tom Brady early and often to have a chance in the Super Bowl, and they've been assembling the tools for this job all year long. They signed Ndamukong Suh to a big free-agent deal, wrote a record-breaking contract for Aaron Donald and acquired edge rusher Dante Fowler from Jacksonville down the stretch. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo, File)
FILE – In this Dec. 16, 2018, file photo, Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald hits Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles after Foles threw the ball away during the first half in an NFL football game in Los Angeles. The Rams know they've got to pressure Tom Brady early and often to have a chance in the Super Bowl, and they've been assembling the tools for this job all year long. They signed Ndamukong Suh to a big free-agent deal, wrote a record-breaking contract for Aaron Donald and acquired edge rusher Dante Fowler from Jacksonville down the stretch. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
FILE – In this Dec. 2, 2018, file photo, Los Angeles Rams nose tackle Ndamukong Suh (93) rushes during the second half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions in Detroit. The Rams know they've got to pressure Tom Brady early and often to have a chance in the Super Bowl, and they've been assembling the tools for this job all year long. They signed Ndamukong Suh to a big free-agent deal, wrote a record-breaking contract for Aaron Donald and acquired edge rusher Dante Fowler from Jacksonville down the stretch. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson, File)
Donald displayed his thanks all season with extraordinary play, and that continued in the playoffs. Donald did not record a sack against either Dallas or New Orleans, but he still dominated both games.
A persistent backfield presence in both games, Donald not only took away time from quarterbacks Dak Prescott and Drew Brees on his own, but the near-constant double-teaming he took on freed up teammates. It's no coincidence tackle Ndamukong Suh, who lines up next to Donald, and edge rusher Dante Fowler, who typically lines out outside of Donald, received praise after both playoff victories.
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"I think he's really playing well," defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said of Donald. "Whether he gets a sack or not every play, that doesn't define him. It's how he plays. Nobody can run the ball on his side and they have a tough time blocking him, so they try to get two or three guys on him, so that helps everybody."
It's no accident. Every player works, but Donald nearly seems obsessive. This week, the New York Post ran a shirtless photo of a flexing Donald. McVay loves to tell the story of how one time, last season, he found Donald alone in a meeting room, watching film at 10 p.m. on a Thursday night.
Eyebrows raised last year when a social-media video appeared to show Donald training by fending off a man holding knives. The weapons turned out to be fake, but it was Donald, so nobody could be certain. Donald's training is relentless, and so is his pursuit of opposing quarterbacks.
"Well, he does everything better than everyone else," Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said. "He's incredibly explosive, he's got a great motor, he's got a variety of moves. He's just an incredibly difficult matchup. He's got great leverage, so he's got the power. He's got the speed. And he's got a great burst."
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The Donald vs. Brady showdown will be highlighted in Sunday's game, but just as important is Donald's run-stopping ability, given the versatility of Patriots back James White. The Rams, with Donald leading the way, did an excellent job against Dallas' Ezekiel Elliott and New Orleans' Alvin Kamara.
A defensive tackle has never won Super Bowl MVP honors outright. Dallas' Randy White shared the honors with defensive end teammate Harvey Martin 41 years ago, and a defensive lineman hasn't been named MVP since Chicago end Richard Dent in 1986.
Nobody would be surprised, though, if Donald did something special in the Super Bowl.
"People ask me what makes him the type of player he is," Johnson, the line coach, said. "I don't know if I can put my finger on it, other than the fact that he loves the game and he's got great instincts. What makes him Aaron Donald? I don't know. If I knew that, I'd be writing books. He's just a special player."
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Rich Hammond | Reporter
Rich Hammond was a high school senior when the Rams left town in 1995, and now he's their beat writer for the Southern California News Group. A native of L.A., Rich broke in at the Daily Breeze as a college freshman and also has covered USC, the Kings, the Lakers and the Dodgers. He still loves sports and telling stories. Don't take the sarcastic tweets too seriously.
rhammond@scng.com
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