The Baltimore Ravens drafted Justin Madubuike in the third round of the 2020 NFL draft. They expected him to flourish into a major piece of their defensive line, which he did in 2023 after turning in an incredible breakout campaign that included 13 sacks and a massive amount of impact plays.
When speaking to the media, Madubuike was asked about former Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald helped him on his football journey. He talked about how he wanted to play like him, and called him one of the greats of all time to play the game of football.
“Yeah for sure. He’s one of the greats – one of the greats of all time to play. Honestly when I came in as a rookie, I wanted to be not ‘like him,’ but play like him in the sense of just being great and being a known player in this league. It added that focus. I guess you could say year after year after year, I’ve gotten better, and it’s been working. I have a long way to go to even be mentioned in the same sentence as him in terms of play, but I’m determined and willing and just going to take it one day at a time.”
Madubuike and Donald trained together during parts of different offseasons, and it’s clear that the Baltimore defensive lineman largely respects the future Hall Of Famer. The former Texas A&M star is looking to build off of his 2023, and will be needed in a big way if the Ravens are to make a Super Bowl run in 2024.
