It’s been over a year since Aaron Donald retired, but he’s still challenging NFL players. It just so happens that they’re the ones he favors now.
We previously learned that Los Angeles Rams linebacker Jared Verse accepted Donald’s offer to partake in an “old man workout” at his residence. Following his retirement last offseason, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year seems to be maintaining prime physical condition and publicly offered to share his training methods with Verse, who is 24 years old.
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We received entertaining social media footage from the training session, where Donald seemed to be enjoying himself, while Verse seemed ready to acknowledge that he had committed a significant error.
As it turns out, Verse was having an even tougher time than the video portrayed.
While speaking to reporters at training camp on Thursday, the current Defensive Rookie of the Year detailed what an Aaron Donald workout entails:
“We do four workouts, they’re all cardio-focused. VersaClimber, bike, lunges, and core work. Four rounds of each. By that point, you’re already exhausted. Then you do four sets of core, two distinct exercises, so it’s like eight different workouts, four sets each. We do all of that and he’s like ‘Are you ready for the real workout?'”
“I respond with ‘Bro, I’ve been here for 45 minutes, what are you talking about?’ We proceed to the weight room, and it’s entirely arms. That’s the reason he’s so large. It’s approximately eight different circuits, four sets each, and I’m there for an hour and a half.”
Things became rather desperate for Verse, and his attempts to leave were unsuccessful. The ordeal left him physically incapacitated and jokingly (we assume) mentioned staying far away from the future Hall of Famer:
“His wife walked in and laughed at my condition, and I told her to call the authorities. I’m not joking, I’m completely serious. I asked her to contact law enforcement. She refused. I tried to fabricate a story about my mother being at my house and needing to let her in. He instructed me to give my keys to his manager or assistant, who would then let my mother in. Consequently, I was unable to leave.”
“I completed the workout. I was extremely tired and exhausted. I planned to relax in the sauna afterward, but that didn’t happen. I also planned to watch film, but that didn’t happen either. I went home and didn’t exercise for another day and a half because I was unable to move my body. … He needs to maintain his distance from me, and if security spots him on the property, they need to handle the situation.”
Speaking more earnestly, Verse acknowledged the intensity of the training sessions taught him a valuable lesson that he has started incorporating into his personal routine:
“Without a doubt, that workout was insane. I’m never repeating that experience. However, he did influence my workout routine. … It was definitely the mindset that you have to persist.”
“The one recurring phrase he emphasized throughout the entire workout, which isn’t really evident in the video, was ‘Think of the fourth quarter.’ Everyone performs well in the first and second, even third, but what about the fourth? That is where you earn your reward.”
Verse was chosen as the 19th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and distinguished himself as a rookie, accumulating 66 combined tackles, 18 QB hits, 11 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks for a Rams defense that desperately needed assistance following Donald’s retirement. This performance earned Verse both the Defensive Rookie of the Year award, which Donald also won in 2014, and Pro Bowl recognition.
Donald concluded his career in 2023, having earned Pro Bowl selections in all 10 of his seasons, first-team All-Pro honors in eight of them, three Defensive Player of the Year awards, and a Super Bowl championship ring.
