Pitt Retires Aaron Donald's No. 97 During Halftime Ceremony
PITTSBURGH — In front of a sold out crowd, one of the greatest players in Pitt football history — and the National Football League — Aaron Donald saw his college No. 97 retired.
Donald stood on the field at Acrisure Stadium during halftime of the Pitt-Notre Dame game as the Panthers retired his jersey, marking the 11th Pitt player to have his jersey retired.
“I thought I’d dream big, but like I always say, I surpassed anything I thought was possible from hard work,” Aaron Donald said prior to the retirement ceremony. “I’m 34 years old, retired from football still reaping the benefits of the things I did when I was in college. I get to do this with my kids, my wife, my family, my loved ones. It’s special. Feels good to be back at home. It’s actually my first Pitt game back since I left. I’ve been to a lot of spring games, a lot of practices, but to be back in, I call it Heinz Field, to see a live game, a big time game with this team, been playing the past few weeks, I’m excited about it, so just a blessing.”
Donald, a Pittsburgh native, joins Larry Fitzgerald (1), Dan Marino (13), Tony Dorsett (33), Marshall Goldberg (42), Joe Schmidt (65), Mark May (73), Jimbo Covert (75), Bill Fralic (79), Mike Ditka (89) and Hugh Green (99) to have their Pitt jerseys retired.
“It’s surreal, I still don’t believe it,” Donald said on joining the other Pitt greats to have their number retired. “Sometimes I gotta pinch myself because it feel like a dream. I just remember being a kid, just trying to get to a D1 college, and remember a kid just dreaming to see if I make it. To come full circle and be like, okay, we’re retiring your number, it’s like, ‘So nobody else is gonna ever wear that number again?’ It’s like, ‘No.’ It’s like, ‘Wow.’ When you talk about legacy, that’s special, that’s forever. That would never be taken away, that’s always gonna be there. When I’m here, when I’m gone, that’s pretty special.” So when you think about doing certain things, you think about being great. But when you talk about legacy and legendary type stuff, like I said, I thought I dreamed big, but hard work, a lot of hard work, man.”
What Aaron Donald Means to the Pitt Program
While Donald left for the NFL after his 2013 season at Pitt, he maintained a strong relationship with the program where he developed into a star defensive tackle. Donald often returned to work out and train at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex during the summers.
In 2019, Donald made a seven-figure financial commitment to Pitt, marking the largest donation by a Pitt football letterman to the program. In recognition of his donation, Pitt renamed its practice facility on the South Side to the “Aaron Donald Football Performance Center.”
“Aaron Donald, I wish I got to coach him, first of all,” Pat Narduzzi said Thursday. “I wish I was able to coach Aaron Donald, but I’ve been able to spend a ton of time with him. Coached his nephew, Elliot, as well. So Aaron is around a lot. When he was playing, he was here every summer. He was with our guys, he’s coaching our guys up. So first thing, I appreciate it’s all the time he spent with all of our players throughout all those years – the Calijah Kancey’s. He spends quality time.
“He’s a people person. He’s given back like a lot of NFL players don’t financially, not just of his time, but financially. He’s a tremendous person. He’s an unbelievable player. Jersey could have been retired years ago, like maybe the day he walked out the door. Some people have done that. This guy’s way more deserving. It’s been with a lot of people that have jerseys retired. This guy’s, he’s special.”
Pitt defensive coordinator Randy Bates added: “Well, what we’re gonna try to do is slip him into a number and get three or four snaps out of him before they retire his number. But Aaron’s a great young man. He’s always been the best to me. Like you said, I have not coached him, but I’ve seen him in the weight room all the time, and he’s engaged with our players. He’s approachable. He’s just a fantastic person, not just a great football player. I’m really excited for him to get his number retired.”
A Historic Career for Donald
Donald, a Penn Hills grad, starred at Pitt as a defensive tackle from 2010-13. He was a Unanimous First Team All-American and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year as a senior after leading the nation with 28.5 tackles for loss, along with 11 sacks and four forced fumbles. He also won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award, Outland Trophy and Rotary Lombardi Award.
During the 2014 NFL Draft, Donald was selected with the 13th overall pick in the first round by the Los Angeles Rams. In L.A., Donald appeared in two Super Bowls, including a Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2021 season.
He was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times, becoming only the third player to do so. He also gathered NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2014, along with being named an eight-time First-Team All-Pro and a 10-time Pro Bowler.
He retired in 2024 as many believe he will be a unanimous selection into the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he’s eligible in 2029.
Donald finished his professional career with 542 total tackles (337 solo), 111 sacks and 24 forced fumbles.
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