There's no keeping former Los Angeles Rams star and future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald away from his old stomping grounds during training camp. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year visited practice on Wednesday, meeting his former teammates and giving some tips to the current members of the Rams' defensive line.
Having a legend like Donald in camp had players and fans hyped, even the coaching staff too like offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, according to NFL.com's Grant Gordon.
“He just puts a smile on your face, right?,” LaFleur said, via team transcript. “Kind of hoping that like the ‘Stone Cold' Steve Austin music would hit and he would come out with a jersey and he said, ‘I'm back.' You're just happy to see him. The guys, all of them, not just the D-line are. You say, ‘How you doing?' He says, ‘I'm healthy.' It just puts such a smile on your face. That's what you do it for.”
It's hard to overstate the impact of a player like Donald. The eight-time first-team All-Pro finished his career with 111 sacks. That total may only rank 28th all-time, but he played in just 154 games. Another all-time defensive tackle, Randy White, also has 111 career sacks, but it took him 209 games. Alan Page, the all-time leader among DTs, needed 218 games to post 148.5 sacks.
The long-lasting legacy of Aaron Donald and who he can help at Rams training camp
It might be a fun distraction to have Stone Cold and Donald appear at Rams' training camp. Steve Austin did play college football at the University of North Texas in the mid-80s before knee injuries changed his life plans.
How Donald could help the Rams is by gifting his work ethic to the young budding stars across the defense. Los Angeles will run new defensive coordinator Chris Shula's 3-4 defense in 2024. Today, a 3-4 defense often uses many hybrid fronts to disguise coverages. Shula has been with the team since 2017, when the Rams HC Sean McVay began his tenure, so you can expect a youthful, risk-taking flair to this defense.
Two young Rams players to watch in that system are their 2024 first- and second-round picks, Jared Verse and Braden Fiske. The Rams finished toward the bottom of the league in sacks (41, 24th) and must find creative ways to attack the quarterback.
While there are no obvious future Hall of Famers in this group like Donald, the Rams are hoping for continued growth from DT Kobie Turner. Between Turner, Verse and Fiske, the Rams hope to retool what made them successful in years past. Unfortunately, brute force and strength are the missing successful ingredients.
Donald would be best served coaching nose tackles Bobby Brown III and 2024 sixth-rounder Tyler Davis. All the hybrid fronts in the world still need a stout guy like Donald disrupting the trenches.
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