Aaron Donald was a force in the NFL from the very outset. The former Los Angeles Rams superstar put together a legendary career that included just about everything a defensive lineman could have achieved.

But even Donald didn’t think he was destined to become what he did in the pros. Even though he was drafted in the first round and enjoying a great season, it wasn’t until later on in the year when an opposing quarterback told him how good he thought he could become that he really bought into himself as an NFL superstar.

In an appearance on The Pivot Podcast, Donald recalled when the Rams faced the Chargers in Week 12 of the 2014 season — a few years before either team would settle in Los Angeles — and Rivers told him that he saw a ton of potential in him.

“My rookie year we played the Chargers and Rivers came up to me after the game, shook my hand and said, ‘You’re going to be a monster in this league, you’re going to be a special player,’ those type of words. I said I appreciate it,” Donald said. “You know, I’m a football guy. I watch football, all sports, and you know the key guys and I always respected him, from what he did as a football player in this league. I’m a rookie, I didn’t really do nothing yet. I had a couple good games, I’m like, ‘I’ve got to do it again and again every single week.’ So for a guy that had been in this league a long time to see that and see the potential in me, I was like, ‘Alright, let’s just keep going.’”

The rest, as they say, is history. Donald went on to be a Pro Bowler in all 10 of his seasons with the Rams, make the First Team All-Pro eight times, win the Defensive Player of the Year award thrice and help the franchise win a Super Bowl.

Aaron Donald recalls Philip Rivers telling him he would be a “monster” in NFL

Rivers was as tough as a competitor as there ever was. Always talking trash to his opponents (without cursing) and establishing himself as one of the best of his era, the eight-time Pro Bowler was not an easy player to face. Donald surely knew this as he watched Rivers' career and appreciated the recognition even more.

After winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year award, Donald quickly became one of the best players, not just defenders, in the NFL. He is finally retiring after a prolonged saga. Donald leaves the Rams behind with a solid core to work with in the future, though not one as bright as one where he’s still wrecking in the trenches.

The offense is still in good shape with Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua but the defense is bound to look different with the departure of DC Raheem Morris, who’s now the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. Youngsters Kobie Turner, Byron Young, Jared Verse and Braden Fiske make up the new core of the Rams' D-line, which faces the impossible task of replacing Donald…unless he makes an unlikely return.