Pitt retires Aaron Donald's No. 97 jersey, recognizing a giant on the gridiron, in the community

The relationship between Pitt and one of the most accomplished football players in program history is built on mutual respect and admiration.

Aaron Donald achieved great things at Pitt, etched his name into the NFL history books with a storied 10-year career, and all the while, never lost contact with his Pittsburgh and Panthers roots.

A football giant whose achievements piled far higher than his 6-foot-1 frame, Donald was honored by Pitt on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium at halftime of the No. 23 Panthers’ pivotal showdown with No. 9 Notre Dame, becoming the 11th player to have his number retired by the university.

“To come full circle and (Pitt) to be like, ‘We’re retiring your number,’ — so nobody else is going to wear that number again? Wow,” the Penn Hills native said. “When you talk about legacy, that’s special. That’s forever. That will never be taken away. It’s always going to be here, when I’m here, when I’m gone — that’s pretty special. … I dreamed big, but a lot of hard work paid off for me.”

.@Pitt_FB officially retires Aaron Donald's No. 97 ???? ???? pic.twitter.com/KJbht8C0hT

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) November 15, 2025

The 34-year-old Donald joins Pitt legends Jimbo Covert, Larry Fitzgerald, Dan Marino, Tony Dorsett, Marshall Goldberg, Joe Schmidt, Mark May, Bill Fralic, Mike Ditka and Hugh Green in having his jersey retired.

Donald played 52 games at Pitt, recording 29.5 sacks and 66 tackles for loss from 2010-13, winning a host of individual accolades before the St. Louis Rams selected him 13th overall in the 2014 NFL Draft.

While Pitt went a combined 27-25 over his four years with the program, never finishing better than 8-5, few teams the Panthers played prevented him from imposing his will.

By the time he headed to the NFL, Donald was a unanimous All-American, ACC Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-ACC and captured the Bronko Nagurski, Outland and Bill Willis trophies, as well as Chuck Bednarik and Lombardi awards.

A 10-year NFL veteran who retired in spring 2024 at the age of 32, Donald racked up a similarly impressive list of honors as a professional.

He helped the Rams win Super Bowl LVI, earned three Defensive Player of the Year awards (2017, 2018, 2020), was the 2014 Defensive Rookie of the Year and was named to the Pro Bowls, encompassing his entire NFL career.

Long revered in Pittsburgh, Donald earned the admiration of his NFL peers behind a relentless work ethic and bulldozer-like presence in the trenches.

“Greatest player I’ve ever played against, greatest defensive player to play this game ever,” said Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey, a Rams teammate of Donald’s from 2019-22. “And one of my really close friends, got a lot of respect for him, got a lot of love for (Donald) — that’s my guy. He’s the greatest.”

Added Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt: “Just a guy that seemed to work extremely hard, had that obsession about getting better and just had a hell of a career. It’s awesome that (Pitt is retiring his number) this weekend.”

On top of being such a high-profile alum of Pitt, Donald went out of his way to endear himself to his alma mater and hometown community.

In 2019, he donated $1 million to the Pitt Football Championship Fund, which, at age 28, made him the youngest seven-figure donor in university history. He also donated $200,000 in 2022.

As a result of his generosity, Pitt had the ground floor of its Duratz Athletic Complex practice facility on the South Side renamed in Donald’s honor.

Donald also remains active around Pittsburgh, hosting an annual football camp for players ages 6-18 while founding Donna Development Group with his brother and wife. The program constructs affordable housing in the Pittsburgh region.

For Donald, everything he continued to do for Pitt and the region was a result of a deep love for his roots.

“I love the University of Pittsburgh,” Donald said. “First of all, this school gave me an opportunity that a lot of schools didn’t. I’m born and raised in Pittsburgh. Never was a big college football fan watching, but the only school I did watch was Pitt when they were on TV. To be able to go and play at the University of Pittsburgh, every offseason, I was right back in Pittsburgh, still using the weight room — it’s just home.

“It’s what I know, where my family is, it’s what kept me grounded and humble. Sometimes, you come back to where it all started, that Pittsburgh grind.”

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— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) November 15, 2025

Coach Pat Narduzzi, who has led Pitt since 2015, regretted never getting to coach Donald.

But Donald’s presence around the program allowed Narduzzi to take stock of one of Pitt’s all-time greats.

“When he was playing, he was here every summer, he was with our guys, coaching our guys,” Narduzzi said. “So, the first thing is, I appreciate all the time he spent with all of our players throughout all those years. The Calijah Kanceys — he spends quality time. He’s a people person. He’s given back like a lot of NFL players don’t, not just of his time, but financially.

“He’s a tremendous person, an unbelievable player and that jersey could have been retired years ago, like maybe the day he walked about the door. … He doesn’t big-time you. I think that’s a Pitt man. That’s how Pitt people are. It’s how Pittsburgh people are.”

Saturday marked Donald’s first time back at Acrisure Stadium (it’ll always be Heinz Field in his eyes) since he departed for the NFL.

How does he want to be remembered?

“As a great player and great person,” Donald said. “One thing my dad always told me is always stay true to yourself. Change is a part of life in the right way. You’re going to grow up … but never change for the worse. I always tried to stay true to myself, stay grounded and be myself. I always want to be remembered as that person. A good person.”

TribLive staff writer Chris Adamski contributed.