For the second year in a row and the sixth time in the last decade, a Pitt player is getting a ring.

On Sunday night, former Panther and current NFL standout Aaron Donald added a much-desired piece of hardware to his collection when his Los Angeles Rams team beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

Donald was one of several stars for the Rams on Sunday night, and while he didn’t take home MVP honors - those went to receiver Cooper Kupp, who caught the game-winning touchdown - a case could be made for Donald as one of the game’s heroes.

Cincinnati struck with a one-play touchdown drive to take a 17-13 lead to open the second half and followed it with an interception of Los Angeles quarterback Matt Stafford on the next snap, giving the Bengals control of the game after the Rams led for the first two quarters.

But that was when Donald made his presence felt. On Cincinnati’s next possession, Donald sacked quarterback Joe Burrow twice, including on third-and-3 from the Los Angeles 11 to force a field goal.

Then, after Stafford and Kupp connected to take the lead back with 1:25 left in the game, Donald stepped up again. On third-and-1 from the LA 49, he and fellow defensive lineman combined to stuff Bengals running back Samaje Perine for no gain, and on the ensuing fourth-and-1, he got into the backfield to pressure Burrow into an incomplete pass that sealed the championship for the Rams.

Donald finished the game with four total tackles and two sacks.

It was a fitting end to another outstanding season for Donald, who has been among the NFL’s best defensive players - as well as the league’s best players overall - since he was drafted by the Rams as the No. 13 overall pick in 2014. He was the Defensive Rookie of the Year that season and has been named NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times since then. He has been named first-team All-Pro seven times in eight seasons, is a member of the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team and is an eight-time Pro-Bowler.

The only thing missing from Donald’s resume was a Super Bowl championship, and now he’s got that, fueling speculation that he could decide to retire after eight seasons as a pro. If Donald does hang it up, he will do so with 441 career tackles, 98 career sacks and a surefire guarantee to be a first ballot selection for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Donald’s decision on his future is yet to come, but with a Super Bowl ring, he joins a group of 25 other former Pitt players to win the biggest game.

Last season, Jordan Whitehead and LeSean McCoy were both on the active roster for Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl win. Four years before that, Dion Lewis and Jabaal Sheard both played for New England’s championship team.

All told, former Pitt players have won 34 Super Bows as members of their team's active rosters.