National Football League

Aaron Donald became Rams' vocal leader with Von Miller's help

Updated Feb. 13, 2022 7:28 p.m. ET

By Eric D. Williams
FOX Sports NFL Writer

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Los Angeles Rams defensive line coach Eric Henderson calls Aaron Donald a tone-setter in his position group and the leader of the "Dawgwork" mantra.

Von Miller says Donald is the most competitive person he has ever played with, and that includes Peyton Manning and DeMarcus Ware.

Rams coach Sean McVay keeps it simple: "He’s one of one. He’s so special."

Whatever descriptions his teammates and coaches offer, Donald has been a wrecking ball from the moment he entered the league — methodical and efficient in going about his business in his eight seasons in the NFL. Watch the Pitt product in practice, and he’s meticulously perfecting his technique or helping a teammate hone his skills.

"Aaron Donald is the real deal. He's top-five already."

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Since the Rams selected Donald No. 13 overall in the first round of the 2014 draft, Donald has been the most dominant defensive player of the past decade.

A seven-time, first-team All-Pro, Donald is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year (2017, 2018 and 2020). He has the most sacks (98), tackles for loss (150) and quarterbacks hits (226) in the NFL in that period. He’s the only player in the league to record at least 11 sacks in each of the past five seasons. And he has been the highest-rated defender by Pro Football Focus each of the past six seasons.

Aaron Donald, center, is one of the most decorated defensive players in NFL history and has hoisted the NFC trophy twice — but he is still waiting on that Super Bowl ring. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Putting together a game plan to slow down Donald will be the No. 1 priority in Super Bowl LVI on Sunday for a Cincinnati Bengals offensive line that allowed Joe Burrow to be sacked a league-worst 51 times during the regular season.

Donald has always been a player who leads by example, seldom the one leading his teammates in "Rah Rah" chants or motivating them vocally. But Henderson said that changed this season with the addition of Miller in a midseason trade from the Denver Broncos.

"AD has always been vocal amongst the defensive line group," Henderson told FOX Sports. "But Von brought experience to the group, having been on a Super Bowl team and understanding the little things that it takes and how important a voice like AD would carry amongst our defense and amongst the team. … It’s paid off for us, and it’s just been genuine. It’s been a natural leadership role [for Donald]. It hasn’t been anything that’s been forced by AD. He’s just found his voice, really staying genuine in his approach, and guys have really taken to that."

Donald, working here against Bobby Brown in pre-Super Bowl workouts, is always trying to perfect his technique in practice. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Los Angeles cornerback Darious Williams said he noticed Donald speaking up more this season, imploring his teammates to play with more urgency. Williams pointed to Donald seething, with his emotions boiling over after L.A.’s overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ers at SoFi Stadium during the final week of the regular season — the Rams sixth straight setback to San Francisco.

"I saw him get angry after we lost to San Fran, and that really resonated with me, like, ‘We’ve got to get going,’" Williams told FOX Sports. "I was walking right behind him. Obviously, it was a last-second, disappointing time of game. We just walked to the locker room, and I saw it. I saw what it meant to him, and that meant something to me."

Regular conversations with Miller in the defensive line meeting rooms, on the practice field and on airplane rides home from games created an urgency in Donald to speak out more.

"It means a lot to talk to a guy that’s not just a normal football player," Donald said when asked about his relationship with Miller. "That’s a great football player that’s going to be having a gold jacket one day. The messages he’s given me, helping me grow as a vocal leader, as a football player — it’s been good. And then you build a relationship with somebody, these are the type of things that last forever."

Miller’s words eventually led to Donald bringing the defense together with the Rams down 17-7 in their comeback win over San Francisco in the NFC Championship Game:

"We’re one game away!" Donald told his teammates. "Bow up! Bow up! We’re playing for something, man. We’re playing for something. This got to mean something to you. Everything you got. Everything you got. Let’s finish this!"

After those words of encouragement, Donald later went out and pressured Jimmy Garoppolo into an interception on a tipped pass that linebacker Travin Howard grabbed to seal the victory and a trip to the Super Bowl for the second time in four years for the Rams.

"He’s always the guy to step up in big moments because he knows all eyes are on him," Rams linebacker Troy Reeder said of Donald. "And he’s really that guy on the team that can draw everybody in, no matter who you are."

Since joining the Rams, Miller hasn’t been a slouch either, totaling seven sacks and 43 combined tackles in 11 games played. Miller said it has been fun playing with one of the best defensive players in the league.

"The same feeling I had with DeMarcus [Ware] when DeMarcus came to the Denver Broncos, it feels the same," Miller said about playing with Donald. "We speak the same language. He understands everything. We don’t even have to talk. I can just point where I’m going, and he’ll give me a little head nod — everything is rush on third down anyway during the game — so it’s just little, subtle things that he does that I pick up on."

Miller said that whenever Donald walks across the stage to receive his gold jacket for the Hall of Fame, he wants the talented defensive lineman to recall how Miller was one of the players to help him reach and eventually win a Super Bowl.

"You want it for him," Miller said. "You want to put your neck on the line for him. His teammates have been doing that for a long time. And I’m here now, and I want to do the same thing for him. I want to complete the checklist for him. That would be a dream for me.

"Selfishly, I want to be the guy to say I helped AD get a Super Bowl. I can tell my son when I get older that I helped him complete the checklist. He’s the complete football player. He’s done everything that you can possibly do as a football player."

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter @eric_d_williams.