When you're an opponent in Pittsburgh, it's going to be hard to receive praise from the Steelers fanbase. One of the most passionate groups in sports, Steelers nation bleeds yellow and black — ask Wiz Khalifa. However, they can make an exception for one of their own.
On Sunday, Steelers nation and the Terrible Towel will likely make that exception when Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams comes into town. A Pittsburgh native and standout at the University of Pittsburgh, Donald is a member of the city's community, as Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin phrases it.
“He will be well received because he is a member of our community,” Tomlin said, via the Rams official website. “This is a guy that’s Pittsburgh born and raised. Went to (University of Pittsburgh) Pitt and is still very active in our community and is a big-time inspiration to the young people. Being a father of teenage boys, I’ve witnessed it. The way he works out alongside young people in the offseason and allows those guys to get close to him and see what work ethic is about and stuff is really inspirational.”
Pittsburgh is Donald's offseason home. When he isn't working out — seemingly 24/7 — he is giving back to the community. This year, Donald founded the AD99 Solutions Foundation, a charity that aims to optimize the quality of life of Pittsburgh's underprivileged youth by giving them athletic and academic resources.
While Donald may wreak havoc on his home-town Steelers on Sunday, it's all love between the city and player.
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