Aaron Donald is greatness personified. Anyone who watched him play knew that. 

When he retired following the 2023 season that saw the Los Angeles Rams make a surprise NFL playoffs cameo, it put the cap on a career that will place him in Canton one day. But that isn't the only recognition he gets. 

Donald was ranked the No. 20 best athlete of the 21st century by ESPN, directly in front of Diana Taurasi and behind Lewis Hamilton. 

Only two NFL players ranked ahead of Donald on the list – Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. Brady sits at No. 5 and Mahomes at No. 18. 

"Donald went into his eighth NFL season with many significant achievements on the field for the Rams: Defensive Rookie of the Year, three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards and seven Pro Bowls to start his career," writes Sarah Barshop. "The one thing he was missing? A Super Bowl ring. He and the Rams won that during the 2021 season, beating the Cincinnati Bengals in a game that went down to the wire."

Donald's raw counting stats are gaudy: 543 total tackles, 176 tackles for loss, 111.0 sacks, and 24 forced fumbles. He made a career out of terrorizing backfields. He is now getting the honor he deserves for it. 

"I think the passion to play the game is no longer there for me," he said in a short online video posted on X. "I will always love football, but to think about going through another camp and another 17-[game] season, I don’t got the urge to want to push myself to do that no more. I’m burnt out.

"If anything, the best way to say it is I’m full. I’m complete. I’m satisfied what I was able to do in 10 years. I think it’s time for me, at 32 years old, to retire from football and jump into the next step of my career and my life. It’s time to move on."