Aaron Donald ate his way out of being a running back

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Aaron Donald has become the best defensive player in football while playing defensive tackle.

But the two-time reigning defensive player of the year wasn’t always a defensive tackle. In fact, Donald didn’t envision himself playing defense at all.

It was his love for food that steered Donald to the defensive line.

“I mean I grew up playing you know like middle linebacker since Little League, so growing up I always thought I would play running back you know,” Donald said on PFT Live on Thursday. “But I ate my way out of that position, so you know I started playing defensive line probably around 12 or 13 and just been stuck there ever since.”

Donald won’t win defensive player of the year for a third consecutive year with Chandler Jones or Stephon Gilmore expected to take the title Saturday night at NFL Honors. But Donald still finished a fifth consecutive All-Pro season with 12.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.