Few players in NFL history have been as dominant—or as dedicated to their training—as Aaron Donald. Known for his relentless work ethic and superhuman strength, the now-retired Los Angeles Rams legend took his intensity to another level during a Make-A-Wish visit, leading to an unexpected outcome: the kid threw up in a trash can.
The wild story was revealed by Matthew Stafford on this week’s episode of the New Heights podcast with Travis and Jason Kelce.
A High Schooler’s Wish: Work Out With Aaron Donald
Make-A-Wish America grants wishes to children between the ages of 3 and 18 who are battling critical illnesses. One high school-aged athlete, who had been battling cancer, chose to spend his wish day working out with Donald—a man widely regarded as one of the greatest defensive tackles in NFL history.
Donald’s reputation for insane workouts is well-documented. Even among NFL players, his weight room habits are borderline superhuman. But while most people might ease up when working with a young fan, Donald did no such thing.
“He’s a maniac in the weight room, right?” Stafford recalled. “I’ll never forget we had a Make-A-Wish kid… His dream was to go be with Aaron Donald for a day.”
Thankfully, the teen was already on the mend from cancer treatment and was well enough to participate.
“It was really cool,” Stafford continued. “He came in, and you’re like, ‘Oh man, this guy’s doing good, right?’ High school kid, bigger kid, loved to play football. And AD was like, ‘Cool, come work out with me.’”
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Donald’s Brutal Workout Pushes Kid to His Limits
Stafford described walking by the weight room while the session was in full swing and immediately sensing that things were about to get intense.
“I’m walking by, and I’m like, ‘Yo, what [is about to go down]?’ I’m over there doing like banded something,” Stafford recalled.
But 30 minutes in, the workout had escalated to full beast mode.
“And like, 30 minutes in, AD is just ripping curls out. Next thing you know, this kid is puking in the trash can.”
At this point, Travis and Jason Kelce were in complete disbelief, covering their faces and bursting into laughter at the absurdity of it all.
Did Donald Feel Bad? Not Exactly.
Despite the grueling nature of the workout, Donald didn’t see an issue with what had happened. After all, for him, this was just a normal training session.
Stafford recalled that Donald’s workout strategy has always been, “Do as many curls as you can until we throw up.”
Mission accomplished.
While Stafford made sure to check on the teen, ensuring he was okay after months of chemotherapy, Donald appeared unphased by the entire ordeal.
Aaron Donald’s Legacy of Intensity Lives On
While Donald hasn’t publicly commented on the story, it fits perfectly with his legendary reputation as one of the hardest-working players in the NFL.
Even in retirement, stories like this prove that his intensity never wavered—not even for a Make-A-Wish kid.