Aaron Donald is a Former defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams. He was drafted in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft and quickly became one of the best defensive tackles in the league. Here's the 10 Facts You Didn't Know About Aaron Donald. His Diet, Contract, Wife, Workout more.
10. Not only is Donald a freak in the gym and on the football field, but he is at the dinner table as well.
He has to consume a large number of calories each day to fuel his physique.
On his “high-volume” workout days, he eats around 5,000 calories.
According to Rams head dietician, Joey Blake, if Donald did absolutely nothing in a day, he would still need 2,817 calories to fuel his body.
9. Aaron Donald Diet
So, with just 11% body fat, what does Aaron Donald diet look like?
Blake broke down Donald’s daily dietary intake in an interview about the defensive lineman.
Donald’s meals are about 50% carbs, 20% protein, and 30% fats.
To break it down even further, that is about 245 grams of protein, 616 grams of carbs, and 164 grams of fat.
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8. Donald claims that he will try any food, but one of his favorites is breakfast tacos.
The breakfast tacos are prepared by Donald’s personal chef, “Lil Arron” Aaron Sain.
According to Sain, Donald also likes his Dancing Meatballs.
The delicious meatballs got their name because Donald was influenced to dance around the kitchen after tasting them for the first time.
7. With Donald’s success as an LA Rams defensive lineman, it is easy to forget that he was an overlooked player coming out of high school.
He was not highly recruited out of Penn Hills High School. He went from a so-so recruit to a back-up lineman as a freshman to defensive player of the year.
He defied expectations at Pitt and used each practice to develop from a pudgy looking kid into a fierce defender.
By the time he left the Panthers, he had gone from a player some would never have expected to play pro football to being the No. 13 pick.
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6. The defensive lineman has had his fair share of NFL fines since entering the league in 2014.
He has received eight fines during his career for a grand total of $146,545.
His biggest fine came in December of 2016 after an unsportsmanlike conduct call was made in a game. He was fined $24,309.
Why was Donald fined?
He threw a flag at an official. It is a no fun league for sure.
5. Donald’s brother, Archie Jr, was quite a football player in his collegiate years.
Archie Jr played at the University of Toledo and competed for the Rockets until 2010. He played as a linebacker and wore the number 42 jersey.
Archie Jr finished his time in college with 412 career tackles which ranks seventh all-time in Toledo football history.
Unfortunately, Archie bounced around the NFL after joining the league as an undrafted free agent. He retired in 2012.
Toledo’s coaching staff were so impressed with Archie’s play that they recruited and offered a scholarship to Aaron.
He decided against following in his brother's footsteps and chose hometown school Pittsburgh instead.
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4. Donald has been in a long-term relationship with Jaelynn Blakey since high school.
The two are engaged to be married according to all accounts. Donald and Blakey were sweethearts throughout their secondary school years.
The couple went to Penn Hills High School and graduated in 2010. Unlike many sports superstars’ spouses, Blakey stays in the background.
They have two children together, son Aaron Jr and daughter Jaeda. Both have been seen at Rams games cheering on their father.
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3. How strong is Aaron Donald?
The Former LA Rams defensive end bench presses 500 pounds. Donald is a lean, mean 6-foot 1-inch, 280-pound pack of muscle.
Despite Donald not being the biggest player in the NFL, he still manages to put up massive amounts of weight.
How does he do it?
Some cite Donald’s quick, agile body as the reason he can put up such heavy amounts of weight.
Donald’s power, quickness, and agility make him nearly unblockable for offensive linemen.
In 2018, Donald collected 20.5 sacks and 25 tackles for loss. He followed it up a year later with 12.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss.
All of those sacks and tackles for loss come from Donald’s extreme power which was partly created through his 500-pound bench press.
According to Donald, he still trains six days a week in the gym.
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2. Aaron Donald got his work ethic from his father Archie.
Archie built a weight lifting gym in the family home in Pittsburgh. Affectionately called “The Dungeon”, Donald spent many hours downstairs with his father and brother pumping iron.
Archie not only trained his son physically, but mentally too. Donald learned to set daily goals and how to achieve them. But Donald was not always a physical specimen.
According to Donald’s own admission, he was a couch potato before turning 12-years old. It was as he entered his teens that his dad got him in the gym and serious about physical conditioning.
Archie helped Aaron create a work ethic and as the youngster saw his body become more muscular, he grew an incredible drive to work hard.
The LA Rams are surely grateful to Archie for his influence.
1. In 2018, the Rams handed Donald a huge six-year, $135 million contract.
Of that $135 million, $87 million of it was guaranteed. When the contract was finalized, it was a record deal paying Donald an average of $22.5 million through the 2024 season.
Although it was a six-year deal, the Rams and Donald have an option to end the agreement in 2022.
According to NFL.com, Donald’s $22.5 million salary for the 2020 season has him ranked as the 20th highest paid player. He is the second-highest paid defensive player behind Chicago Bears outside linebacker Khalil Mack.
Interestingly, Donald’s Rams teammate, quarterback Jared Goff, is the NFL’s fifth-highest paid player in 2020 at $33.5 million. Read more about Aaron Donald contract.
That’s all 10 Facts You Didn't Know About Aaron Donald, tell us if you think Aaron Donald is the best defensive player in the NFL!