Aaron Donald’s competitive spirit and physical presence have reached legendary status, and Los Angles Rams head coach Sean McVay had plenty to say about his star defensive end in his comments to the media on Monday. Oozing with pride for the All-Pro defender, McVay explained his understanding of Donald’s psyche as best he could, telling reporters that the veteran is incredibly inspired in his pursuit of excellence.
“I think certain people just have an intrinsic motivation and a drive that they’re always filling their tank up,” McVay said. “I think that his standards for himself, the type of competitor he is and how he’s innately wired, I think that’s a special trait that he’s probably always had. I think he’d be better equipped to answer it, but I know nobody has higher standards for Aaron Donald than he does of himself, and that’s pretty consistent amongst any great competitor that’s truly driven.
“You get all these extrinsic rewards, but whether it was the contracts that he’s earned over the course of his career, winning the Super Bowl, he’s driven to be great because he wants to be great for himself, he wants to be great for his family, for his teammates, for his coaches. That to me is one of those separators where you’re just innately wired that way. I don’t think that’s something that you can teach or coach. I think you either are or you aren’t, and Aaron certainly is.”
The early portion of Los Angeles’ 2022 season has been marred by injury and a Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills that still stings for the team after two straight wins. Donald has been a rock in every outing for the Rams in spite of all the adversity his team has faced, and even without the benefit of help that is of the same caliber as he has had in years past, still remains unfazed.
A grueling schedule in the months ahead will certainly test their mettle, but for McVay and his coaching staff, Donald’s moxie and passion will serve to buoy Los Angeles. With momentum on their side and a keen sense of direction, this Rams team is set to play the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night with Donald leading the defensive charge in primetime.
