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Sarah Barshop, ESPN Workers Author
LOS ANGELES — In his first interview since asserting his retirement from the NFL, former Los Angeles Rams defensive sort out Aaron Donald stated Friday he’s “leaving at peace” and on his personal phrases.
“I am full,” Donald stated in an interview along with his spouse, Erica. “I am full. I feel the fervour to play the sport is not there for me. I’ll all the time love soccer, however to consider going by way of one other camp and one other 17-[game] season, I simply do not bought the urge to need to push myself to try this no extra.
“I am burnt out. One of the best ways to say it’s I am full, I am full. I am glad with what I used to be in a position to do in 10 years.”
Donald introduced his retirement on March 15 after 10 seasons. In these 10 seasons, Donald was a three-time Defensive Participant of the 12 months, an eight-time first-team All-Professional, a 10-time Professional Bowl choice and the 2014 Defensive Rookie of the 12 months.
Donald completed his profession with 111 sacks, second most amongst major defensive tackles in a profession (behind John Randle’s 137.5) since particular person sacks turned an official statistic in 1982. He holds the Rams’ franchise document for profession sacks.
Final season, Donald had 8 sacks and 53 complete tackles in 16 video games and was named first-team All-Professional.
“I completed all the pieces and greater than I even thought was potential,” Donald stated. “Coming to the NFL, I simply wished to get there and be the perfect defensive sort out. However to be thought-about the perfect participant within the Nationwide Soccer League, to be thought-about the perfect defensive participant within the Nationwide Soccer League, to win as many particular person accolades I did and win … I simply really feel prefer it’s nothing I did not get to really feel as a person success to group success.”
Donald is considered one of three gamers to win the Defensive Participant of the 12 months award thrice, together with Corridor of Famer Lawrence Taylor and J.J. Watt. The award was first given out in 1971.
Donald stated this was not the primary time he thought-about retirement. He wrote a retirement letter after profitable Tremendous Bowl LVI with the Rams that may have been efficient Might 9, 2022. In the end, Donald stated, after speaking to go coach Sean McVay, he realized he wasn’t able to retire.
“It is laborious to stroll away after profitable a Tremendous Bowl,” Donald stated. “You need to expertise that once more as a result of that is the final word excessive.”
Though he’s retiring, Donald stated he is leaving “an excellent younger group that is going to have numerous success.”
“To depart the group how I am leaving the group, in good arms with nice younger guys that is going to do some nice issues for the group, make it even that a lot better for me to know I ain’t leaving it in a nasty situation,” Donald stated. “It is in good phrases, and so they have a superb group, and I really feel like they will have numerous success.
“And I am simply going to be, this time simply watching from the sidelines, simply being a fan now.”