Aaron Donald Exclusive Interview With Erica Donald: Retirement, Life After Football & Career Moments

Watch this exclusive interview as Aaron Donald sits down with his wife Erica Donald to talk about his career journey, life after football and GOAT status.

00:00 – Are you the GOAT?
03:56 – College Career & getting drafted
12:11 – Do you remember who was drafted before you?
14:45 – When did you realize you were special?
15:45 – What was the transition to LA like?
19:08 – Early LA Rams Seasons
20:41 – Meeting Sean McVay
22:36 – First Playoff Game
24:20 – 2018 Season & Super Bowl
34:52 – Retirement & Final Season
40:21 – Why now?
50:02 – Being a role model
54:14 – What sort of legacy do you want to leave behind?
56:55 – Are you a first ballot Hall of Famer?
1:02:10 – Should you have been NFL MVP in 2018?
1:03:36 – Are there any NFL players you see dominating right now?
1:12:15 – What are you going to miss the most?

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Ladies first you got to go across okay you want me to go first since she so nervous I’m not nervous this is about you right now it’s not about me so I’m going to go first lead the way hold on hold on Cheers Cheers are you comfortable feel great

Ready are you ready yes let’s get to work are you the greatest of all time I’m not the greatest of all time um I think I played 10 years um I think in my era I would say for my era yes but you know everybody there was different

So um you got guys that was great that I looked up to like um Ray Lewis that was the greatest at his time paalu Pittsburgh guy um Lawrence Taylor you know it’s different areas that you know you can’t it’s hard to say that because the game changed so much so I think in

The time I played I think um I held my own and did what I did to you know help change the game so I like it I have to agree so just kind of take me through um not everybody knows your life story not everybody knows Aaron Donald the human

Being outside of NFL um but when you started playing football from childhood through High School through college all the way into to the pros just kind of give me a little journey so born and raised in Pittsburgh we in my childhood home well I probably booed here when I about 3

Four years old um been playing football since I was five or six years old started playing when I was five um I actually quit when I was F first position I ever played was Center um and then obviously um I quit that year when

I came back when I was 6 years old and um played fullback linebacker pretty much a lot of my career all you wanted to be linebacker um so um growing up um a quiet kid didn’t speak much had older brother older sister that you know they

Had to speak for me and you know if I needed to ask my dad something ask my mom something I was quiet and my dad used to always telling me um speak up if you don’t never speak up and ain’t nobody going to never know what’s on

Your mind so um you know football was always a way for me to express myself um get out my comfort zone um so you know a quiet kid you know off the field on the field show a lot of emotions um you know we got a family a football family um you

Know so it’s like so from as a kid growing up playing low League Football you always dream about playing an NFL right so um you know you have you you do good things as a kid growing up and then you get to the high school level I’m actually tried to play linebacker but

You know U they like n you you going to play D line so um my dad always told me dine was my God giving gift you know but I always thought dine was like the fat guy position I a want to never be considered the fat guys so um you know

To look back at it you know I think I made a good decision stand with d line um had some a lot of success in high school um my dline coach dear Gibson coach giz we still talked to this day um we got a great relationship with him he

Taught me a lot of things and um High School to help me dominate you know but again when it was time to get the scholarships didn’t have too many offers we had pit um I think Toledo and akan you know a lot of teams a lot of schools

Felt like I was undersized for my position um didn’t think I’d be able to translate what I did in high school to college so they was asking do you think I can get the 300 lb and things like that but um you know it take one school

To believe in you and and pick was that school for me in my hometown when I was born and raised at um so you know full scholarship at pick um chose to go there um work my butt off to you know have a lot of success there and um got Jeff to

The St Louis Rams so so before we get into the draft with the RS um in your college career did you ever kind of think about am I going to go into the league how am I playing am I being recognized just what was that like so my

True freshman year so I actually came to school late so I was a guy that had to pass my SAT or ACT test so it took a while I end up passing the last test so um I I had to my dad found the trainer

Out here Dwayne Brown um end up being my trainer that trained me for the rest of my life um in 12th grade um I would work with him to get get myself conditioned I I lift weights with my dad um you know to prepare myself because you know while

All my other peers was already starting college and experiencing that I was still waiting trying to pass the test to see if I even you know got to go to Jo if I get to go to college right away so um I started August 5th the day of camp

And I went down there in great shape um didn’t start my freshman year felt like I I should have started but I think it was one of the best things that ever happened to me because um cuz it just showed me that I I got to keep working

Whole life playing football I was always the guy you know I was always a starter and now you know coming into a division one college I felt like I dominated right away coming in late but um it didn’t play out how I thought it would play out and and you know there was

Games I played five snaps there was games I played 15 snaps but um I just kept working it pushed me and motivated me to um you know to continue to just work with my craft get to where I needed to be as a player um came back my

Sophomore year was probably you know my first big year in college had some success um my junior year year was a year that you know let me rewind back something so my sophomore year was my first big year in college so you know I start feeling myself a little bit start

Enjoying College a lot more people would know me on campus so I I would feel like I kind of felt like I kind of um got a little little satisfied and my junior year was a good year but it wasn’t a year that I I could have did a lot

Better you know I felt like I didn’t put the body working the same way I did my sophomore year and you know I went from 10 sacks to six sacks that year so um I thought about leaving early cuz I had my my daughter um got my grade back I think

I got like a a like a fourth or fifth round grade and I I was upset about it but I’m I got to provide um I had a conversation with my dad in this house right in the um dining room I sat there and talked and I told him um I’mma come

Back for my senior year cuz I want to be all American he like you’re making grown man decisions now you know and you got to stand on that and I came back more motivated than ever um we work out with my my trainer Dwayne Brown on any day we

Had off I’ll be with my guy training um in the film when it came to the film study I was non-stop in the film room I’ll be there an hour early um I I would watch film by myself I would pick about four cheers together take a nap before

Meetings and um get ready for practice and you know and that just became my routine um I would watch film with my um coach my dline coach coach noes he taught me how to watch film how to break down film how to study my opponent to

Play faster and um once I started to do that my senior year it was like it was like out from there I kind of you know um you know I had my best year yet you know end up winning a bunch of awards and um you know having a lot of success

But again it was back I don’t think he’s the biggest guy I don’t think what you did in college going to translate to the NFL so it was always that that same that same thing being said then you go to the Senior Bowl um you dominate it’s like

Okay okay maybe he he’s he maybe he can do that but I don’t know um you go to the combat you run a four six now everybody like okay maybe I’mma take a chance with this guy now so um but I I I remember visiting the St Louis Rams

Coach W I remember him bringing me to his office and just praising me some talking about how much he want me here I remember um they was all in the meeting room I remember W walked me in there bust the door open poof I remember all

The it was um coach fish and last everybody in there like like a draft meeting remember Johnny Manel on the screen and they like remember coach like this is Aaron Donal this is the kid that’s going to be here and I’m like how you doing it was super

Awkward but you know that was my introduction to everybody and he told me if I was there at 13 they was going to draft me but I’m like I did my homework on them I said they had walk Rob Quinn had just had 19 and a half sacks had um

Michael Brockers first round pick big Lanford um Kendall Chris Long another first round pick Eugene Sims um will Hayes with a bunch of guys that was already a pretty good team good D line I’m like they ain’t going to draft me I kind of thought I was going to go to

Even Dallas or um Chicago beers because I did I started talking to the papers I thought I I would end up going there but um got the 13 got a call from fish and um he they he told me if I was there at

13 they was going to take me and I got drafted so so that was May 8th 2014 13th pick of the NFL draft to the St Louis Rams at the time yes how did that feel it was a dream come true you got to think um playing football since you was

5 or 6 years old running around the neighborhood playing football you always said um I want to go to the NFL you know when you in school you got to write what what your career is you you pick NFL player the teacher like that’s what everybody want to do let’s let’s let’s

Be more realistic you know and but that was my dream that’s what I wanted um so to be able to get drafted and share that with my mom my dad my brother my sister my cousins like everybody that played a part of helping me be who I am and you

Know get to hug my brother cry with my brother cow my dad cow my mom and share that moment with them it was it was it was um it was special it was it was super special um and like I told my brother when we was in that bedroom

Crying um it’s time to work let be great now um man I got there and and we went to work um so you often times talk about obviously your parents um but a lot of times you talk about the male figures in your life um you know kind of

Environments that they don’t always have the best role models in their parents the best role models in their siblings um you always talk about how that plays a major part people don’t always know how big of a family man you are how much you love your family um so what does

That mean to you to be able to share a lot of these moments along your career with your parents that raised you your brother your sister you know just everybody I think that’s one of the best parts of my career you know having the success I had from even from my kid to

High school to college to the pros it was always the god there and make my mom and my dad proud you know so I was like it’s okay my nerves I didn’t try to make you cry but I knew it was going to happen yeah but

It it was like when I if I played football it wasn’t what everybody else thought I wanted to know what my dad thought what I did right if my if my dad praised me and told me how okay I need some TI you real quick you want to come sit on my

Lap golly man sorry God damn my bad thank you please don’t do that no there there might be a few more golly bab boom you need [Laughter] some but it was always you know it wasn’t what everybody else thought you know I was if my dad was to say you did

A good a great job and you did what you I a care what nobody else said my dad always said if he love it if he like it everybody else is going to love it um and you know from low League to high school to college to the pros that’s

Always what it was to me you know if my dad called me and told me how I did in the game I a care what nobody else thought I was good so um and me in the world to Shar moments like that with my P parents with my brother my sister um

Then I go come into a man and create my own and have kids and be able to share that with them there’s no better feeling than have the lung so okay so let’s let’s get into the draft I know sometimes guys get asked do you remember the 12 people that came

Before you do you remember everybody I don’t I really don’t um I’m going to pull it up right here I have it I do have it I do but I want to see if you can if you remember any I know Ebron went to Detroit I thought I would go to

Possibly go to Detroit I think they was at um 10 hold on I believe u I think o Odell went to the New York Giants at 12 yep he was right before you yeah do you remember who was one that year Clowny yep yeah Clowny um

You remember who was two no I do not I think it was ala Salam yes um Titans no no grro oh great yeah yes St Louis that’s what I was like come on man you know that I just put you on the spot for yeah but I don’t know but I remember but

It wasn’t like it wasn’t like mad I was just like wait one time once I get there I’m there I just wanted to get in the door so I really a care if it was early or what it was I just wanted want somebody that wanted me and give me

Opportunity um to be able to do what I do and I felt like I went to a a team that was like the perfect fit for me you know it it was with a great defensive line coach a great D line room to the point where you know I remember in OTAs

I was in there in film watching film by myself early I remember coach W came in he was ER rasing the board when I’m watching film like you can just keep watching F I’m watching film and he looked back at me he said he looked at

Me he said I’m I’m going be talking a lot in this meeting room I’m going be teaching a lot of guys a lot of things but I want you to listen to nothing I say I just want you to go out there and play do the same thing you did in

College I want to learn from you MH as a as a rookie and and you got a d d line Co telling you just play football do what you want just make plays I don’t care if you jump out your Gap just make plays the same whatever you did in

College just do that now right you know how much confidence that was to me to just go out there and just play and just play free um and then I got a great group around me got Robert Quinn you got Michael Brockers you got Kendall you got

Um Chris long will hay Eugene Sims like I had a a great group that always like that believed in me right away that like you you going to be special you know and a kid you as a young guy you like okay like you you don’t know what that’s

Going to be but they seen it early and like for guys and your coaches and your teammates to believe in you right away like that it’s like it’s like it’s it’s motivation and it’s confidence that you get right away to the point where you be

Like I can do this you know so when did you realize you were special um be honest with you I I felt like I dominated OTAs my rookie year I had a amazing Camp um my first game against the Vikings uh we play played the Viking that’s when

Um um Peterson was like I got to get the play I Remember watching him playing with a beat I get to get to try to tackle this guy and I remember the first time I was in there get in my stands I see I see they I see a light stand so I

Know the guard’s pulling I just shoot it boom met him in the back field slammed him down for like a six seven yard loss I was like yeah I can do this and I from there it was like confidence right away you know um cuz I was able to

Perform and make big plays early in my career my first NFL game I was already making tfls and same plays I was making in college to the point where it was just confidence right away to the point where like if I keep doing what I’m doing keep learning keep getting better

I think you know I can be a force in this league so okay so you find out the St Louis Rams are becoming the Los Angeles Rams the team moves out to LA what was that transition like for you was it challenging was it weird was it different you know you’re essentially

Pissing some people off you’re making some people happy you’re talking about uh potentially a brand new fan base coming in they may have already been Rams Fans they may have been fans of yours maybe not but what was that transition like uh I a know what to

Think cuz you got to think I’m from Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh and St Louis ain’t too far off and then you said you going to Los Angeles the big city like Market all the act like you know La I’m like I’m like I don’t know what I’m

Going to do out there like I it’s just you know what I’m saying but um we get out there you obviously you know um you see a different world right so um you know you get nervous at first then you grow to love it right so um had an

Opportunity to meet a lot of good people have a lot of good opportunities um off the field as far as marketing wise that was a lot better so um put a bigger smile on my face once I started seeing that too but um you know it end up being

Being at first a nervous thing but it end up being a great thing at the end of the day you know been there 8 years years now I’m going on nine years so um you know that’s home now you know that’s home and um you know I’m happy that the

Move happened I happened obviously I love St Louis I love all the fans that was there that supported us that supported me um early in my career but um was able to you know transition and go to Los Angeles and create a fan base there and I’m a great fan base that

Helped us you know do a lot of great things there so so how do you stay grounded through all that going into a big Market where sometimes a lot of guys go in they get overwhelmed they’ve got all kinds of distractions and all of these things that take their their mind

Away from in in your mind the number one Focus which is football so how do you work through that and at that time you’re still young in your career but you’re a leader in the locker room so potentially being a leader and taking other rookies under your belt and and as

They’re coming out there and they’re brigh eyed you know for me me it was like my dad always told me always stay true to yourself right so that’s I’m I’m I’m always going to just be me no matter who I am who people how they see me what

I make I’m I’m just aing at the end of the day the same guy always been obviously you get older you mature but I’m still the same person and I just I just never let my surroundings or what I accomplished or what I get change who I

Am so it was always the same mindset to work keep working and to be a productive player that trying to um you know do great things and and help my team to win and and that was my mindset that’s how you got to think I started working out

When I was 12 years old and my dad always told me um working out you it’s going you going to see a change in your body and a’t going to just change the way what you do in the waight room it’s going to change in your everyday life

And I’m like all right d all but once you start seeing the change in your body and you get into a routine it it really do translate to your everyday life you become you get structured on your life so um I just that’s how I am now that’s

How I was then and you know you got structure you got that mass and you got discipline um it’s easy to stay on course and as long as guys with you and and you know follow your lead they do the same thing so okay so now take me

Through La as an LA ramp you know you’ve got a couple Seasons that were a little tougher then you know you go on and you get to go to a Super Bowl and you have some of your best career moments at what what kind ofed that how was that

Um you know also you had a lot going on so how did you kind of keep your mental strong throughout everything so my first year in St Louis I mean not St Louis La in 2016 was was horrible was a bad year um we wasn’t a good team and that’s the

Year fishing up getting F was some hard knocks it was like it was an embarrassing year um from for per for individual year it was a All Pro year Pro Bowl year but you know you you when you accomplish that not saying that you’re not happy and excited about that

But you just want more as a team and when you’re not even a competitive team and a team that only win four or five games it’s like what we doing here and it became me my agent um talking to me like all right you about to go into your

Your four years by T start talking contracts I’m like I don’t like I love the Rams but I want to win I want to go somewhere I can win so that’s like I don’t know if I want to even try to you know come back

And get a contract with the Rams as like you sure I’m like I just don’t I just want to win I’m tired of losing and fish get end up getting fir bringing Sean mve I remember the first time I met Sean I remember um it was Tony Les and um Dem

Off they all called me up they was at the um the Fe the Four Seasons matter of fact it was in a conference room I remember walking in a conference me and Sean always talk about this to this day I walk in the conference mve they like

Go your new coach and I’m looking around the room he the young at be the youngest head coach in NFL history at the time I looked at I’m like okay ain’t no way he’s a coach and I looked around like where the hell he at little guy get up

Walk to me how you doing a I’m like man what the you just don’t know what to expect and like when they ask me what kind of coach did I always want I said I want somebody that’s going to hold us accountable and have us get some

Structur this that’s what that what I told them the type of coach that I would want and I’m talking to Sean he’s saying all the right stuff all the stuff you want to hear all the stuff that I said to them I was like it sound good but you

Never know until you gotta you you got to see it to believe it right and um end up you know believing what he was saying and end up actually my first year his first year was my first hold out year so was trying to come up with a contract

After I’m like all right I’m going end up coming back I’m see what this guy can do but um it got to make sense let’s get paid still with business at the end of the day um and at end up holding out um was in Pittsburgh training my whole time

And that was my first all I was year so for me it was personal right I was kind of mad at the organization I’m like what y’all don’t want me if y’all don’t want me y’all get rid of me send me somewhere that want me please if y’all don’t want

So I was a little little mad a little frustrated about it um end up coming um back the day before the first game of the season I missed that game I I remember going out Sean’s office he like you want to just um do some f a couple

Third Downs I was like No And they coming back to second game and um you know that was end up being my um my first year WI a defensive player of the year end up being my first year going to the playoffs experiencing a playoff game that’s that bre that’s what changed my

Football mindset that playing Atlanta Atlanta at the Coliseum it was packed it was loud it was rocking in there I remember the like my excitement I remember my hugging my dad like watch this like I was just I was like this I just I was just so amped up so much

Excitement like with the just feeding the crowd environment um I remember like the first play get back to I’m chasing R you better throw the ball I remember like it was three and out but I remember going to S I couldn’t breathe I was just like I remember ease one guy I played

With one of my best friends to this day um Dominic Easley he’s like bro just calm down bro just breathe just do the same thing you’ve been doing I was just so amped up but I I just felt like after the first play I just was like you know

But but that’s when I realized like this is what you train for this is what you work for it ain’t about to end individual accolades it’s about getting to that point they playing big games like that you know regular season good but playoff football is different the speed of the game different the

Atmosphere different everything just is just different and that’s what like after that season I was like oh I was so hungry to get back to the playoff game and do more now um end up holding out again yes 18 and um that year I was just holding out training I knew how to

Handle myself then you know I had what to do how to keep my routine working with my trainer Dwayne Brown got I’ve been working with since high school um lifting weights every day training with him every day um got an amazing shape that’s when my body started to change my

Body started to tone I started getting a four pass when I started to show my ass on internet lot more um end up coming back um but that that that in 18 I didn’t take it as personal I wasn’t mad I was like it’s just business we going

We’ll figure it out at the end of the day um came back in in 18 and and I wasn’t worried about winning no individual accolades it was just all about dominating doing everything I can to help my team to get back to a playoff

Game and do more right and and it was it was a fun year for us I think we dominated we went on like I think we went eight and0 straight I’m like we was just an Unstoppable team offensive scoring a million points a game we get

The pass rush all game we getting sacks I end up finish in the year with 20 and a half sacks another Defensive Player of the Year back to back unanimous all pro pro bowl year and then we going to we go to a Super Bowl that year I’m like this

Is what it’s about so um getting experien that getting experienc all the stuff that come with a Super Bowl I was like man what you got all do all these damn interviews we just play football and like it was a lot that came with it and that I didn’t understand but um we

End up falling short man and um that was that was a tough time for me um and definitely for that 18e alone cuz I was going through a lot off the field um with in my personal life that was tough and obviously that’s when you know you

Helped me with a lot of that um you know just a lot of personal things that was going off off the field um but you know um we went to a Super Bowl we lost was emotional time for me I feel I feel like

I I don’t like to say but I kind of went like through a little depression stage I guess you can say um not just because of how we losing but a lot of stuff that was just going on it was just like Ping On on top of each other so

Um yeah what did Tom Brady say to you after that Super Bowl I gota look at I got to look at the message but he just was saying he a get to see me after the game um he was just saying um how how hell of a football player you are um

Just respect type of thing and just saying you’ll get you one just keep working kind of thing you you’ll be another one and um for me you know after I accomplished a lot you know by that time I was two defensive player of the years a couple all Pros went to a Super

Bowl like my main focus was just to trying to win one and you know I wasn’t I was early in my career I would look at guys stats and trying to chase stats and things like that but um after losing that I was like only thing I’m chasing

Is like only person that motivate me was Tom Brady you know a guy that won at that time six Super Bowls um you know I was just trying to you know find a way to experience winning one you know so I kind of hated Tom Brady for like two

Years after that I ain’t going to lie I did um so um yeah it was tough though but he he showed some love to me okay and so so holding out let’s jump into that just for a minute you held out for two offse seasons two years back to back

Two years back to back why and what was the importance of holding out for you well you got to understand like football is football but at the end of the day it’s still a business right so um I still got a family to provide for and you know it’s a small window you

Never know what can happen playing this game um what can happen with injury wise or just you just never know so um while you hot you got to get it while you hot right and I felt like I did a lot for the organization I was working My BT off

I felt like I had a lot more in tank to do a lot more for the organization so let’s just get this on and extended and let’s not even worry about the business side just worry about football so um that was what it was for me man and um

You know just trying to put my family in the position and not have to worry about certain things no more so um have an opportunity to end up get my contract in 2018 and the call my mom and dad like I remember calling them like what you

Doing remember I think I called my dad first like what you doing Dad nothing man what you doing he nothing at the house um you can hang them up now man everything going me now you know I just got my contract you can retire man everything going me now you good said

What you good man it’s on me got call my mom did the same thing so U for me that’s what it was about you know cuz obviously my mom and dad bir me put me into this world but um growing up in Lincoln liton um you know with a lot of

Friends I had got a lot of trouble I had friends that was murdered it’s easy to get yourself in trouble when you got structur though and people in your life that keep you on the right track that keep you motivated make sure that you doing everything you need to do so you

Ain’t a a victim in these streets um saying thank you ain’t enough when you got great parents right so um I felt like to be able to call them and tell them you know you can hang your C hang your shoes up you ain’t got to wor wor

About when the next dollar coming it’s on me now um it wasn’t no better feeling than that you know I was it felt good to do that you know so thinking about it get a little emotional but it felt good to do that at the time do you think that interior

Deinen were underappreciated do you feel like you had to work harder to get that big contract than a quarterback a a skill player a wide out you know just just anything else do you feel like you had other challenges against you other than just performing well and being at

The top of your game and maybe the best of the best at the time um I I don’t know I want to obviously the defensive line was different at the as an interior guy you know an interior guy really ain’t the guy that’s going to get all

The sacks you know he a guy that’s going to get five sacks a year six sacks a year maybe 10 at at his best but you ain’t going to see a defensive lineman D tackle getting 15 12 sets consistently and then he get 20 and a half sacks so

It’s like you know you help change the game when you thinking of aspect of that cuz interior gu is closer to the quarterback so if you get that one onone it’s easy to get to them you know better than than an edge rush or outside line

But that’s rushing off the edge it’s a lot it’s it’s a lot more you I got to go through definitely when you a name now you getting double and triple teams the The Tackle choking down with the guard sliding in the center running hit your

Headp it’s a it’s a lot more you got to do to got to battle to get through than I got on the is not saying it’s not hard out there but I rather go through a tackle and and a tight end any day than

You know 3 330 guys 33 lb guys so so let’s talk about that because you’re an interior guy and we just talked about double teams and I’m going to pull up this stat despite seeing double teams at over a 60% rate you ranked second in the NFL in pressures among defensive linemen and

Among the top 10 of all pass rushers through week 11 you have the most pressures in NFL history through 154 games you have 790 in addition to all of your Awards you Pro Bowl every year all pro eight only time you didn’t get it was your rookie year and the year you were

Injured I want to pull up the percentages of double teams 90% basically um at least 60 they lying it was at least 95 I have it on here but I wanted to pull it on there sorry y’ hold on since 2017 you faced 1,797 double teams how many triple team

Hold on they don’t they don’t pull up that stat but they need to and they even need to talk about quadruple teams when people check down and choked down and all that but 152 more than anyone else in the defensive field yet you still let all defensive tackles in pass rush win

Rate your last five seasons is 202 while we’re talking about stats you’re third in sacks amongst active players with 111 you were the fastest DET tackle to reach 100 sacks and we talked about this just it was either earlier this week or whatever where everybody else on that

List is not an interior guy at all so just for that alone you get compared all the time to Edge rushers to guys on the to exterior guys not interior guys but does that frustrate you or do you think that people understand what you have to battle with versus what somebody on the

Edge has to battle with or how the positions are completely different no I don’t frustrate me it’s like you got to think I’m a I’m a defensive tackle it’s like a different world and when you a defensive tackle you got the world talking about the greatest of all time

And he might be the greatest of all time you talk about Lawrence Taylor and all these great players just like if anything that’s a compliment to me it’s like cuz how many defensive tackles you know that’s you know being compared with the outside linebackers like every

Single year you know it ain’t even about the interior guys no more not to say they’re not great and good players but it’s like this guy is doing things that never been seen as a defensive tackle so let’s trying to compare with some of the greatest Edge rushers that did it and I

Just feel like it’s just a testament of my body work that I did right the the um you know the non-stop in the weight room the non-stop condition in my body the non-stop in the fan room um the time and effort that I put into football was all

Year round every single year I’ve been playing in the National Football League it’s not like I’m a guy to take two weeks off if anything I might take a week off and week I’m still in the weight room probably once or twice that week so um when you put the body working

And good things come off and my dad told me all my life hard work pays off when you put that body at working it’s going to show and I did what I needed to do um played the game how I needed to play the game um I left it every left everything

I had out there every single week every day um if that was even in a meeting room at practice or in a game you know I I went to work I I did what I needed to do I played fast played 1,000 mph and then you know and and everything fell in

Place I was supposed to fall in place so okay so to make this known normally when you talk about that stuff you normally say I play I’m actively doing this you just said I played I did everything I needed to do where are we

Now um 10 years um um 10 Pro bowls eight all Pros three defensive player of the years and rookie Defensive Player of the Year Rookie of the Year um two NFC championships three NFC West championships went to two Super Bowls won one lost one um I’m complete I’m

Full um I think the passion to play the game is no longer there for me I will always love football but the think about going through another camp and another 17 season I just don’t got the The Urge want to push myself to do that no more

I’m just I’m burnt out you know if anything I just the best way to say it is I’m full I’m complete I’m sad as f with what I was able to do in 10 years and um I think it’s time for me to at 32 years old to retire from football and

You know jump into the next step of my career in my life and and that’s time to move on did you accomplish everything in your career that you ever dreamed um I accomplished everything and more than I even thought was possible um my coming into the NFL I

Just wanted to you know get there and be the best defensive tackle but um to be considered the best player in the National Football League to be S considered the best defensive player in the National Football League to win as many individual accolades I did and win

I just I just feel like it’s nothing I didn’t get to feel as a individual success to team success I felt every low and every high that I can feel from the game of football U was able to make a a good amount of money playing this game

Um to be able to provide for my family so it’s like um you know when you talk about that I I I Dream Big Dreams I had huge dreams but I surpassed anything that I thought was possible um not saying I didn’t believe it but I just

Thought my dreams was big I just from just working my ass off and putting the body working it just it just jumped 20 times above what I thought was even possible so um I’m just I’m at peace you know and I kind of I knew I was going to retire um but you

Know after that Detroit game walking off the field you know I’m usually after a loss at playoff loss I’m usually the guy that’s going to be mad don’t talk to me don’t look at me but I walked off the field with a smile on my face like just

Taking it all in I remember waving at you blowing kisses at y’all waving at the fans hugging coach Henny talking to K walking off remember walking before walk in the locker room giving Sean with a big smile a big hug he said that’s it

I said that’s it and you know I kind of I I was at peace with it you know I wasn’t I wasn’t mad I wasn’t I was proud how them guys played I was proud how this last season even came to fruition for me it’s like had a bunch of young

Guys where I didn’t know what to expect you I didn’t even expect us to be the team we was and I had a I had a fun year like I got tojoy every moment of that year to watch the young guys grow and become the guys of the team and have

Success and um be a part of just taking it all in you know that was my main thing going into this season was just to go back to the how I was as a kid just enjoy playing football again you know that’s what it was and I feel like I got

To do that and I was proud how them guys battle um I felt like we should have won but we fell short but I was proud how they they they they fought to the last to the last play and um I was proud of the way everything play played out um I

Was satisfied I was at peace with everything and then you know I kind of it just was one of them things where you just know you know it wasn’t like second guessing it it was no second guessing it it was just at peace what I remember in

The locker room taking my stuff off I water the last time I take my shorer pads off with my jersey on it again I’m like wow remember getting on one knee taking my untiring my Spike and just like dang just looking around like this the last time I’m going to ever do this

My eyes just start watering I’m like oh my gosh like just I’m just taking every moment in cuz it was like it was special to me because I knew you know so to be able to you know to experience what I experienced um in 10 years to accomplish what I accomplished in 10

Years and um you know um I felt like I was able to help a lot of young guys to you know become the players they was and um just watched the organization grow and helped the organization grow to what it was to what we became from a team

That went four games to a team that won a Super Bowl to become a team that is a respected team in this league and I felt like um I’m leaving um at peace um on my own terms when I want to leave on top another Pro

Year I feel like if I wanted to play I could still play at a high level it’s just the passion to play the game is no longer there for me and I feel like um I’m not leaving a team like just stay in peace I think I’m leaving a team and I

Think they got a great young team that’s going to have a lot of success and you know I talked to a lot of the young guys and they they know all this I talked to them a million times and told them that it’s y’ time now you know it’s time for

You guys like Kobe to step up and be the leader now to puka you know to continue to build off what you did so um Earnest you know it’s your defense now you know I told him that so um to lead a team I’m leaving a team in a good hands with

Great young guys that’s going to do some great things for the organization make it even that much better for me to know that you know I ain’t leaving it in bad in a bad condition it’s in good terms and that good team and I feel like they

Going to have a lot of success and I’m just going to be this time just watching from the sidelines just being a fan now so so I I do have to ask why now and I and I say that because May 99th 2020 22 do you remember that date do you know

What I’m going to say you tell me that was your first retirement letter oh okay yes I remember that it said please allow this letter to serve as notification that I have retired I I’m sorry that I have informed the Los Angeles Rams of my retirement from the

National Football League effective as of the date above so that was written that was emailed ready to go just not turned in just not turned in so so when I came in NFL I was always a guy that was like I don’t want to play Forever like I want

To be in and out and leave you know like Barry Sanders on I always said I’m a Barry Sanders to leave and leave at my at my at still at on top and people like why are you retiring now but like you know leing my own terms that’s pretty

Much what I wanted to do and I always said I’m retire eight years I always said that before my my second year in the league my first I’m like I’m play eight years and be done I winning the Super Bowl my eighth year and I’m like golly like this is like Destiny like

This is supposed to be like this and I was like that’s it you know but um talking to Sean he kind of you know talked to me and but it was like experience in winning a Super Bowl was like it’s like it’s it’s hard to walk

Away from out the winning the Super Bowl you want to experience that again cuz that’s like the ultimate H like winning the defensive player of the year is cool it’s a blessing all Pros is a blessing it’s cool but that team success being the last team standing you got Mayweather flying you

On his jet to his birthday party you got all people calling you hey you want to come pull up like it’s a it’s different it’s a different type of exper um experience man that I never got the experience and it was like you kind of

Get addicted to it you know it’s like I want to feel that one more time I just want to put a confetti following on me one more time and you know so I talked to Sean and we was able to figure it out and from a business aspect and um

We got two who was was you know Mutual from both sides and you know chose to come back for two more years potentially three more years but I knew it was going to be two more years and they knew that too um but um did the two years end up

Getting hurt that um my first time ever getting Hur in football was was that 2022 um it was yeah that 2022 so that was my first year in my whole life my whole career ever getting injured having surgery couldn’t had to sit down for weeks I’m like this is like it went and

I was a little de pressed AG then you know it was tough so but you were also what people don’t really understand is you work out all the time yeah so to literally be forced you’ll be like oh this is sore this is sore I got to go

Work out like just relax it was tough to have to sit down for two three weeks can’t even could not do anything I can’t even do no on cuz you can’t let you you got a cast on you can’t let it sweat I like I’m going just do some ABS real

Quick but then came back and then you know um had the year we had and you know I was at peace with everything and um 2024 10 years and 32 years old um with a wife and four kids um got my ready brand that I got

That’s doing great um that I invested in early and um you know the development company we got going down Development Group um with you me and my older brother um that’s doing great got um some affordable homes we working on in in Pittsburgh area on Wilkinsburg 38

Units um so that’s something that we build and obviously ad99 Solutions um continue to help that grow continue to build that be able to be more Hands-On with that now and um potential to help that grow just so we can you know just not be in the Pittsburgh area but you

Know expand outside Pittsburgh so um it’s things like that that I look forward to is obviously being able to be home with my family spend more time with my wife and just be a dad you know I love being a dad love being with my kids um my six-month-old baby Beast my 2-year-old’s

A monster my seven-year-old obsessed with football so watching him play football my 10-year-old daughter artistic and um trying to get her into um you know continue to do art continue to do some sports cuz she’s five seven she’s 10 years old so and get her into some sports so just watching my kids

Grow and um the same effort and time that my my parents paying to me to get me to where I’m at to live out my dream I just want to give all that to my kids now um to help them live out their dreams so um obviously um any

Opportunities that call and present their self if it makes sense to me and my family I’m all ears um so um you know potentially down the road with some acting stuff you know we working on that so um but you know I’m an open book man I’m just anything that come my way

Opportunities is going to come my way I’m all ears I’m listening but right now my main focus for this year is just being a family man being home with my family um continue to work on a ready brand continue to work on a development company um continue to build on 8099

Solutions and you know that’s my main focus for this year but I’m just excited about being a dad so you stilling all my questions cuz I was going to say what’s next you know that’s that’s but but it’s that um what what I will say is oh an amazing

Husband you are you are just attentive you’re kind when you want to be um no I’m just kidding um but you you pay attention to the small details you really just kind of make sure that everybody is set up for the for success in the sense of you make sure that

Everybody has what they need to be able to be their best throughout the day so whether that’s me being a mom you know working from home you make sure I’ve I’ve got what I need to be able to do that stuff um the kids you are the the

Best father they tell you that all the time my daddy’s my best friend they they’ll like I don’t care about anybody else in this world but my daddy is is the best in the world you know they love you so much um and I think a lot of that

Is just attributed to how you are how you raised them um and a lot of that comes from obviously how you were raised but everything that you had poured into you you make sure you pour that into everybody else so even when we’re going through seasons and you are coming home

From work no days off you’re working out you’re doing treatment you’re taking two or three hours out of your day to really be a dad make sure kids have their homework done you’re playing with the young ones then you go back and you do you finish up your film study because

You do that for hours and you’re in bed by maybe 11:00 p.m. or midnight and then you’re up at 6:00 a.m. maybe early here doing it all over again so outside of football I don’t think people really understand what you pour into your family and how much you love your family

And you like everybody for sure has made a lot of sacrifices so you can be your best and do what you need to do but you also throughout your day when you are laser focused on the main thing you take time out of your day to make sure that

You pour into everybody else around you even if you’re tired even even if you’re cranky even if you don’t want to do it so like when people talk about family men you are I maybe biased I don’t know but you are the epitome of family man

You know and I I say that and I know that because I grew up in an amazing family you grew up in amazing family so we were able to see those really positive examples of what now we can pass on to our children and so I just

Think that is so special of you and how you know you’ll give up going to events or even some big moments to just be home with your kids and play with your kids and spend time with your kids and be like I’m GNA be late cuz I want

To put them to bed or you know or I don’t really want to do that tonight because we’re just going to stay here and we’re going to watch a movie and everybody’s going to sleep in the room you know like you you really are that so

Thank you I don’t tell you all the time thank you baby but I just felt like that’s important for you to know but also for other people other fans to know that’s who Aaron Donald is you know out outside of everything you did on the field that’s who you are and so with

That I’m just going to jump and say you had a lot of positive role models we kind of talked about this a little bit but you pour so much into the community and you do so much for young kids a lot of it unnoticed and unknown um but but

What does that mean for you to be able to do that and potentially you know be that role model for somebody coming up and it’s not just in sports or football because there’s guys and young guys that we talk about or just young kids in general male female where you’re like H

They could be a great NFL player or college player whatever but it’s not just about that you know they could go be a scientists their grades are awesome you know what I’m saying you tell people to keep a good head on their shoulders but what is that for you being able to

Be that role model and that influence on the Next Generation Well I think have an opportunity to be who I am as a football player and be able to um for these kids to look up to me right so um when I speak they listen so um they had

Opportunity to motivate so many kids um to inspire so many kids um and be a guy that they can see and they can touch right and it ain’t just on TV I can joke with them I put them in the head lock I’m just me right so I want them to see

That and I want them to feel that I want them to understand that when you put the body working the things that you can accomplish and it ain’t it ain’t just about sports because if you put your time and your effort into anything in this world it Beyond sports that’s just

Trying to become a teacher become a a doctor you if you really put the time and effort into it that I learned that from my father that you can surpass anything that’s possible like I I like I told you I dream big but I surpass things that I like from just working and

I really put time into that effort into that so to be able to share that with these kids and show my emotions to these kids and let them know that I’m a real person you know that um anything you put your mind to is possible right so um cuz a lot of these

Kids now a lot of people speak to them but they ain’t going to listen you know but um for me to have that opportunity to catch their ear and for them to sit there and listen to me and look me in my eyes and feel what I’m saying is real um

Because everything I speak is always from the heart you know I hate when somebody trying to put a card in front of me and tell me to read this I be like no let me just ask me a question and I’m going just speak from my heart cuz

That’s that’s that’s when it’s more real that’s when people can feel and relate to it a little different so um to do that man and to grow up in environment I grew up in see my friends that had so much potential that chose to go a

Different way that end up going to jail that chose to trying to break into somebody house they get murdered you know just hanging with him the day before and I get a call from another friend saying so and so just got killed like these guys could have been in the

Same position I was in they had all the potential in the world to do anything in this world but they chose to go right instead of going left the right way right so um you know my my main focus is try to help as many kids as I can in a positive

Way to to motivate them as as much as I can so we can just continue to build our community up the right way right so um and ain’t just athletes we seek him out our community there doctors it’s teachers it’s scientists this might be astronauts cuz when you see people that

Come from where you come from that make it and they was in the same type of environment you was in that make it no matter and everybody’s situation is different like I was blessed to have a mom and dad and had structure everybody don’t got that that’s why I want to

Create my Foundation that’s why I created my Foundation have that mentoring that that leadership that tutoring so they can have some discipline that structure somebody be like man what is you doing you don’t need to be what is you doing in like like kind of like a smack upside the

Head you know and um when you got that somebody you know it’s easy to keep somebody on track CU there many times where I wanted to go this way and I thought about my dad like nope I’m going go I’m going go to school like you know

I’m going to do what I need to do cuz I don’t want to make that man mad or disappoint my family all you know U cuz I remember my dad told me um I ain’t got much to give you but you got that last name you better not embarrass it and um

I feel like I did pretty good you know helping this last name that Donald name um grow to what it is today and and my mindset is you know for help the next kid to do that for them and their family so I’m any way I can help them help

These kids help the Next Generation that’s what it’s about um and you know I think you know it’s a blessing um to be where I’m at um but it’s it’s more of a blessing to had an impact on these kids that I have so um just going

To continue to um do my part regardless of what’s going on and motivating these kids any way I can in a positive way to stay on track so what sort of Legacy do you want to leave behind both on and off the field well for me Legacy is

Everything um you know when you when you talk about you know nobody lives forever right um so my mindset was always I want my last name I want my our name to be like to live forever kind of thing and you create all Springs and what I’m talking about as far as

Like have an opportunity to to put my name down pit the wait room the Aaron Donald’s performance center that’s going when I’m when it’s all said and done and I’m gone that’s always going to be there that’s my name that’s going our last name is going to last forever when you

Walk you going to see that Donald name right there forever we we creating this development company we doing these great things for these for these communities and building these things like that when it’s all said and done and I’m gone my kids going to have opportunity to help help this

Grow that’s that’s that’s forever that’s Legacy when you you talking about now being a position to continue to build and create generational wealth because it ain’t just about us now it’s about our kids and their kids and their kids and their kids to the point where the

Donald last name is like the CR family you know honestly you know that that that it’s wealth yes you know and I love Mr CR all every time I see I say you know you adoped me right so I I will always love and appreciate the crony family Mr crony um

Because they changed their lives right so um it’s a it’s a blessing man it’s like sometimes it’s a real sometimes I can’t believe um where we at today where I’m at today um and if things I’m able to build and do and grow but um you know

That’s a part of life you know I got the opportunity to play 10 years NFL now at 32 years old retiring I’m really really starting to starting life now at 32 years old so I feel like I got a a great Head Start in life now it’s time to

Really anchor down and and get to working you know the next chapter I’m excited about the next chapter and um all the things that come with that and um the future what the future hold for us and for me um I’m just ready for it I’m excited about it you know it’s

Nothing it’s not a sad day it’s a celebration um having a nice little drink with a mimosa that’s it just a mimosa but you know you usually drink champagne when you celebrating something so um this ain’t a sad day this just a celebration um memories and um think

About all the great times the great things you did all the great things I’m going to do in the future and just look forward to that so okay so so talk about greatest of all time right you are a first ballot Hall of Famer do you think

You’re a first ballot Hall of Famer in my mind you are so let me be clear I say that what are your thoughts on that not to say on cocky or not but I think from what I accomplished in 10 years and the things I was able to do I will agree to

That I think so um humbly I would say that but I do believe that um you know you look at some of the greatest defensive tackles that did it I felt like not to S like Warren Sapp John Randalls in the world um um I think that um the things that I

Was able to do in 10 years as a defensive tackle consistently year in and year out um for 10 years straight um speak volumes right um I think I helped make a change in the league to the point where you can b61 260 lbs cuz I

Played in 2018 I played 2 55 to 260 that whole season people don’t know that everybody I think I’m 285 I ain’t be I ain’t been 285 since college no no college but my first year in the league I was about 280 my second year was 280

But for the most part I’ve been playing NFL football as a defense attacker on the National Football League at 61 probably 260 265 sometimes I played at 258 depend taking on 600 lb yes so you it ain’t about the size and but I’m actually I’m really strong too so that

Helped a lot hold the double teams but um yeah man so um I think I helped change the game and you know teams looking for the next Aaron Donald s s to speak just you know it ain’t about being a guy at 65 300 lb you can still

Dominate at 61 6 foot um 280 lb 270 lb 260 lb as long as you can hold your own when when them double teams come cuz they be heavy sometimes but um as long as you do what you and you’re a productive player man I think I help you

Know shine that light on guys that’s similar to my body type to be out there and and get drafted in the team I have to second guess it so do you think quarterbacks are going to be happy I don’t know you got to ask them I know I’m tired of um the doubles

And triple teams every single play though but um it come with the respect of the game right so um you know to have to battle through that week in and week out you know study film and like okay I see the one-onone I know if I get the one-onone how to beat

This guy but let’s be realistic I’m got to worry about this guy this guy coming how can I defeat it uh the study of the game like that um it come with a lot football it ain’t just Sundays what people see man it’s it’s a lot of film

Studies through the week um definitely 30 plus years old as you get older in this league it’s a lot of you got to do to take care of your body so it’s like when you you go home you’re really not home you know you come home I try to

Spend time with the family for a minute then I go watch film then I go spend time with the family for a minute then I get in the cold tub I spend time with the family then I get the steain room the SAA then I spend time with the

Family and then it’s at night time when the kids is in bed I got the game ready on my knees or I got the boots on and then 11:30 at night it’s bed time ready to do it all over again so it’s a real commitment with football and um

Definitely as you get older you got to find way to keep yourself fresh keep yourself healthy and it’s a lot of recovery stuff you got to do at home that’s like it’s it’s like it’s the same thing every day and they get old but

It’s what you got to do to be able to stay stay fresh stay ready to you know play a football game and be able to dominate because um it suck to go into a game and you got aches and pain so it’s a lot better when you’re feeling good your mental is good

You’re able to just go out there um and just trying to find ways to make plays so um it’s a lot that go to it people that the world don’t know the world don’t get to see um but football’s a real job it’s a real commitment um it’s

A lot to go into it man and um had the opportunity to do it 10 years strong um and and put a lot of time a lot of effort into it um offseason wasn’t off season to me no really didn’t get to travel a lot um only times I had was the

Weekend and you know that’s you know that’s one day and then it’s right back to work so um it was a real commitment a real effort a real lot of time that I put into the game of football that’s like you know to say that um do I think I’m the greatest

Of all time I wouldn’t I can’t say that but I can say I’m one of the greatest of all time for sure I think so um I don’t think there will be too many arguments with that about me saying that um I respect all the grace that came before

Me um that was able to change the game but you know the game changed so much the erors Chang and um I’m done it’s going to be the next you know whoever is going to be the next best guy that’s going to do it consistently and um

There’s going to be another guy after that and another guy after that that’s just how the how this how this um League works so so 2 and a half sacks as a defensive tackle as a defensive tackle like I don’t know I had a bunch of tfls that year too

Yes should you have been NFL MVP and how do you feel about the NFL MV VP award well in my opinion I think that and there not no shade but I think the MVP War it should be more like like the the Best Quarterback Award because like there’s a lot of great quarterbacks

Don’t get me wrong but every single year I don’t think the best player is the quarterback I feel like in 2018 I felt like I wasn’t I wasn’t I promise to God I wasn’t trying to win it I a care about it but if it

Was a chance for me to win the MVP it should have been that year cuz you got 20 and a half sacks as defensive tackle probably like 20 plus tfls and then I helped take my team to a Super Bowl was like was like a no-brainer unanimous All

Pro year was like but I don’t think it’s a award for a defensive player or like I think it’s just a Quarterback Award and I say that with most respect yeah I like ain’t no shade to nobody cuz there’s so many great players but there’s guys that

Dominate that deserve an M MVP award that’s not a quarterback some some years and it’s like you might just don’t call it the the don’t make it the best player in the leue just say the top quarterback in the National Football League they got to change that world if they going to do

It like that because every Year’s not a quarterback I know them I know they the money guys but come on man like is there anybody out there right now where you’re like that could be the next Aaron Donald I know you not the next Aon Donald the

Next the next but I would I would say TJ watt he’s a guy that consistently been doing it every single year and like he’s a guy that’s going to consistently get 15 sacks for you 20 tfls two interceptions maybe a touchdown for sure so he’s a guy that been doing it

Consistently that I felt like you know he should want a couple more defensive players than it kind of got snubbed a couple of times I ain’t going to lie but um you know if you talk about somebody I’m cuz I’m big on you got to show me

More than one or two years you got to it got to be and ain’t no he dominated one year got that now it’s like what he doing now like you got to be like not two years it got to be like I got to see it multiple times you got to be

Consistent when I watch you so he consistently dominate year in and year out so that’s a guy I felt like um if anybody they need to be chasing him and trying to you know if they want to look at Stats and trying to accomplish something I would wait look what did TJ

Do this day he had three sacks damn I got to try to get three and a half sacks four sacks this week so um he he he’s that he’s that guy right now I think okay last one I’m sorry because I just thought about it you said TJ watt Steelers

Every time we are in Pittsburgh people will walk up and be like hey man when you coming home like what’s up you going to put on that black and gold you know like you from here I um I love the Rams um I don’t want to you know retire nowhere else but

With the Rams you know I told Sean when he first got there after that first year I was like um you know as long as you’re the head coach here I want to be here I want to continue to win as many games and create what we can

Create together I don’t want to go nowhere else but here with you and I got the opportunity to do that um because the relationship the bond we got I feel like it’s special it’s beyond football um again we talked about earlier um you know all the personal stuff that was

Going on he helped me with a lot of stuff too you know and never asked second gu it was like okay that’s always first before football and even if it was a phone call you you good or just call me to the office just to check on me and

Like for me that’s that’s way deeper in football that’s like that’s real love right there so um you know I wouldn’t want to be play for another coach than I got right there so and so I I do have to ask this because you just you talk about

The koni family um in addition to the many teams he’s a part of you were able to be drafted to a franchise play 10 years with that franchise and retire with that franchise that’s rare very rare So when you talked about kind of going through first contract

Negotiations and you were like I just want to win I don’t know if I want to be here you know like I I want to go somewhere to win and then Coach McVey comes in what does that mean to be able to be able to stay in a place for the entirety

Of your career when some guys have to jump around they maybe come in as a rookie they don’t get their big contract with that team but I I think that’s what made it that much more special when in the Super Bowl um I remember hugging Mr kro and tell him that’s what y’all

Brought me here for remember hugging lesson saying this is what y’all drafted me here for to accomplish something like this so um to come to organization where the first three years we a even a competitive team we got all the talent in the world we’re a good team but we

Winning five games six games we’re not really a competitive team and to help build that to a playoff team to a team that make it to a Super Bowl that fall short but found a way to get back and win it and and succeed and have success

And get the experience that with with the fans with the organization and then with the with my family like like I’m I’m so happy happy thing played out for me and my career I’m happy that I I chose to stay with the Rams and be with the Rams the Rams

Wanted me and um to have the success I had that just just I think that made it that much more sweet man cuz when you help build something and you felt like like a couple times you you was hammering away you missed the nail but you found the way to keep continue to

Build that house and get that structure the right way and and help build it up the right way man and it it’s just it’s a blessing that’s that’s the best way God is great um you you believe in god um you you you do things the right way I remember um Mike

Dicka we was we was at an event I think I was coming out of college right and he was talking and he said if you respect this game and you play this game the right way um the football Gods reward you I remember that always stuck with me my dad just talked

About me talked to me about that upstairs and and I remember him saying that I remember him orange face cuz he he live in Florida so you know he all tanned up and I remember him talking about that and um that always stuck with me I always felt like if you do the

Right things and you play this game the right way you respect this game the football Gods is real they going to reward you and you know I truly believe that because I’m a living testimony of sin when you do things the right way and you

Really put the work in what come out of it so um it was a it was a one hell of a career something that I can be proud of um something that I can continue to look back and show my kids um old highlights old memories you’ve already started

Yeah but you know I’m just really looking forward to um you know just watching them be great at whatever they want to be great at now and putting all my time and my and put my effort into them and you know like my dad from L Le

To high school even in Camp early in Camp cuz I was at home in pit did not miss one practice with every single practice if I had a bad practice he look at me like you practice the way you play you know you have fast that practice you

Going have fast in the game and I always stuck with me that’s why at practice I go 100 miles per hour I’m dominating this time when Sean had to take me out of practice like killing her confidence what the hell is you doing because

That’s the way I was my dad just like we don’t have fanss if we going to do it we going to do we going to go balls out we can go all the way in with it and um that’s the approach I always had with it

And um when you do that man it’s like it’s crazy right so now we we we we looking it 10 I remember just being a rookie though that’s time flies man it do but um I enjoyed every moment of it um the experience I got um the

Relationships I built um the memories I got with my teammates this relationship that you going to have for the rest of your life relationships I got with the coaches that’s going to last forever um coach Henny um Sean um Co raw now head coach for the Falcons my dog congratulations proud of

Him so you you build relationships like that that’s that’s forever right um Team ma that’s Michael Brockers that we still talk to foxy um guys like that man it’s like Eugene Sims Robert Quinn Chris long we still talk um you so I still talk to these guys that my rookie year we still

Got a group text we text so um these is bonds and brotherhoods that’s that’s last forever and that’s what it’s about man memories and relationships that’s like that and um football did so much great things for me man and you know I can’t thank the game of football enough

Um I can’t thank the organization Ram organization enough can’t thank Mr crony enough um for you know um not just having me the opportunity to help build the organization but you know keeping you there you know keeping me there helping me you know um you know change

My life financially and my family’s life financially forever and putting us in a position where we can continue to um have that Financial thing grow and invest in certain things or create our own um Lane and path now so um I’m forever grateful forever blessed and um just an amazing place Happy

Proud you know all the emotions is that’s like I’m on like Cloud n like I don’t know how to else to express how I’m feeling but just at peace with everything so so I know you might not miss OTAs in Camp as much but I think the home opener is September 8th when

That comes around and you are I’m near and you’re there and you’re watching like get let’s go but I don’t know I’m going be excited but that’s what you going to miss the most I don’t know I don’t know I Sean asked me like what I’m

Going to miss the most but I I think I’m going to miss like the locker room presence of just being with the guys like the jokes all like the meeting room cracking jokes and like the whole I’mma miss that a lot that’s I can say that

Now but as far as like when the first game come how I’m going to feel I I don’t I don’t know I really don’t know I can’t tell you that until I experience it yeah so but I can just tell you right now that I’m I’m excited I’m happy and

I’m I’m not like you know I’m not like second guess or nothing like maybe I can I’m like I’m cool to that point let me be very clear because people are in my DMs and I’m getting messaged all the time and they’re like please don’t make Aaron retire please please give him to

Us another year like I want to make it clear that this was your decision my decision and I love all the I posted something on social media with just me dancing but it was just I’m just happy man I was excited about doing this excited about finally get to share it

With the world that um I’m retiring um but it wasn’t me getting a new contract or us getting I knew is Rush or getting traded I I don’t know but um it was just me just seeing something I like that was I like the video seen so I put it on my

Story it was just how my emotion was feeling at the time getting ready for this interview and put um tomorrow with today’s Thursday tomorrow Friday this will be shared with the world as far as the retirement thing and are you ready for it I’m I’m ready for it man I’m just

Ready so I’m excited and I’m happy any last words any thank yous any anything else that I I feel like I thank everybody I thank the organization um I thank my my parents my mom my dad U my brother my sister um I thank you um for

Being there for me and helping me get through a lot of tough times and you know being my rock my kids can’t thank my kids enough just my family um friends that was there coaches um there so many people to think but you know everybody that know me know

I love you and I appreciate you and um everything you did to get me to this point to you know had the success I had um it’s a blessing so I’m going to look at this camera and when the kids watch this and they’re old enough to understand your father was the greatest

Of all time okay so let’s just be clear he may may be humble and he may just kind of I don’t play I got I was pretty damn good but greatest of all time and I’m not biased because I know my and I know football so greatest of all time and you

Guys have the greatest dad of all time thank you all right that was good thank you thank you cheers oh you finished the day okay