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In case you missed it, former Pitt defensive lineman Aaron Donald received a pretty nice honor recently when he was named as the Pro Football Writers of America's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Donald playing well in the league this year wasn't a huge surprise. But to have the kind of season he put together was just pretty special. He not only topped all rookies with nine sacks this year, but was second in the entire league in sacks for defensive tackles. It's pretty ridiculous how dominant he was this year from the inside of the line.
He'll be looking to win the league's official award on January 31st and has some stiff competition in Ravens' linebacker C.J. Mosley. But even if he doesn't win that, it's pretty clear that he's established himself as one of the NFL's best young defenders.
Barring injury, he should have a long, productive NFL career.
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