Aaron Donald Says ‘Relationships’ Are Key To Rams Dominance

NFL fans watching Super Bowl LVI last February were reminded of two stark truths about the game that they love.

First, the team with the best quarterback-receiver pair-up typically (if not always) wins the big game. In the case of Super Bowl LVI, it was the Los Angeles Rams’ QB Matthew Stafford and his ace Cooper Kupp that sealed the deal.

And while early on, it looked like Stafford wasn’t necessarily having the best game of his career, his timely connections with Kupp made all the difference. Kupp, who was named Super Bowl LVI’s Most Valuable Player, finished the contest against the Cincinnati Bengals with eight receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns.

The second truth is that defense matters and that in the Super Bowl, the team that possesses the most consistent threat to the other team’s quarterback wins big.

Just as important to the Rams’ February 13 win was their defense, namely veteran DT Aaron Donald. Donald posted two sacks and four combined tackles while spending the entire game terrorizing Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.

Last week, I spoke at length with Aaron Donald via Zoom about last season’s big success and what it’s like to be on the defense side of the ball for a legendary NFL franchise.

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Donald was born in Pittsburgh, and after spending his youth there and college years at Pitt, he joined the St. Louis Rams as a rookie, as the Rams’ first-round draft pick (going No. 13 overall) in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Despite leaving Pittsburgh, which Donald affectionately calls “The City of Bridges,” the 6-foot-1, 280 lb. three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year stays very involved with his hometown through AD99 Solutions, an establishment that provides Pittsburgh-area youths with accessibility to mentoring and quality education, as well as access to athletics, good nutrition, and community involvement.

Since the club’s move from St. Louis to L.A., Donald thinks that the Rams organization made very good changes to strengthen the team, restoring the Rams as one of the pinnacle NFL franchises.

“I spent my first two years with the Rams in St. Louis. I loved it there, but L.A. has beautiful weather, and I love it here,” Donald said. “I think there was just a change and a decision that the higher-ups like (Rams owner) Mr. Kroenke made, and the fans have responded. The newer fans in L.A. have been great.”

Donald added: “SoFi has been amazing. It’s the best stadium in the National Football League, and when it’s a packed house and it’s going crazy—that’s some of the best motivation you can get as a player.”

Potent Rams offense based on “relationships”

When asked about the Rams’ switch from Jared Goff to Matthew Stafford at quarterback, Donald, who has spent all of his eight NFL seasons as a Ram and an NFL Pro-Bowler, indicates that it’s a perfect fit.

“As a person off-the-field, building a relationship with (Stafford) has been great. Obviously—his abilities and leadership—he’s different.”

Donald describes Stafford as one of the most ambitious players he’s ever played with, but also as a leader who can soldier through tough plays and keep his men focused on the task in front of them.

“You see him in training camp, wide-eyed with his plan to make big things happen, but then you see him translate that and doing it in the game. He knows how to bring guys along” and execute plays.

Donald also says that Stafford and Kupp have an extraordinary “relationship on and off the field” that makes it “amazing to see those guys work.”

“Obviously, in this business people come and go all the time. But it’s great to have Matthew Stafford with us, both for what he can do on the field and the kind of person he is off the field,” Donald said.

When I asked if Donald and his fellow players knew all along that Cooper Kupp had the potential to be a Super Bowl MVP, he hinted that even if the rest of the world was pleasantly surprised, Kupp’s teammates knew he had it in him.

“The thing about Cooper Kupp is that he’s been Cooper Kupp—the same guy—since day one,” Donald said. “He’s always been consistent and the guy you know will make the play. I think for him, it was about getting through a whole year (and) staying healthy.”

Donald also said that Kupp’s work ethic, “study of games and the film, and the body of work he puts in, proves that hard work pays off.”

Underrated defense?

After watching Donald go toe-to-toe with the entire Cincinnati Bengals offensive line last February, one might be tempted to ask him if—in his opinion—defensive players are a little underrated, given their huge contributions.

And if the effects of a good defense in the NFL are overlooked or underrated, does Aaron Donald like it that way?

“It’s definitely an offensive league, and so people want to see points scored,” Donald said. “I am a defensive guy. I like to mount the attack.”

But he also thinks that good defense equals good offense in that if done right, defensive stars help put points on the board.

VIDEO: Aaron Donald shows The Rock a thing or two in the gym.

“In my role I focus on sacks and stretching the offense out. But, doing that, I can pick up fumbles, pick off (or) block a pass. Yeah, it’s an offensive NFL. Everyone knows that. It is what it is. But I wouldn’t say we’re underrated.”

Staying in the game

At age 31, Donald acknowledges that the regimens of a veteran NFL player are very different from that of a 22-year-old rookie. He says that playing a hard-hitting style of defense adds to the stress. As such, taking care of the body is paramount to any defensive lineman who wants to stay in the game.

“As a player you have to think about getting older, taking care of your body, and what you put into your body as a big part of recovery.”

Donald admits that he has to “stay away from greasy food and the fried food I do love” in order to “keep away inflammation, and the things that break your body down.”

Not surprisingly, Donald says that being effective on defense isn’t just about the big hits. Speed is an asset too.

“I want to be able to face up against the opposite team and fly around, and do the things I do on Sundays. But it’s a process and (there is) a commitment to staying fit, staying healthy, to perform at a high level.”

As such, Donald is one of a handful of athletes who has teamed up off-the-field with Dr Teal’s Pure Epsom Salt Soaks, which he said was part of his regular routines all along. The brand has also enlisted two-time rushing yards leader Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans as a part of their latest NFL-related campaign. Both athletes credit Dr Teal’s with helping them get ready for the season and speed up recovery time.

“If I play on a Sunday then I’m going to soak on a Monday, and then again on Wednesday and the Friday before we fly out to play. It’s in my regimen because, obviously, we play a very physical sport.”

Tonight the Rams kick off their 2022 NFL season with an opening game in Los Angeles versus the Buffalo Bills. The prime-time game (8:20 P.M. EST) can be watched on NBC and the NFL Network.

Read Andy Frye’s interviews with Tom Brady and Tim Tebow.

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