Anita Goggins is an American mother of three best known as the parent of NFL superstar Aaron Donald, three-time Defensive Player of the Year with the Los Angeles Rams.
After her divorce from Archie Donald, she spent roughly two decades driving a public school bus in Pittsburgh to support her children.
Who is Anita Goggins?
Anita Goggins is the mother of Aaron Donald, one of the most dominant defensive players in NFL history.
Aaron spent his entire professional career with the Los Angeles Rams and won Super Bowl LVI in February 2022.
She raised Aaron alongside his older siblings, Archie Donald Jr. and Akita Donald, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Aaron is the youngest of her three children.
Anita became a recognizable figure in NFL circles after speaking to media outlets during Aaron’s rise with the Rams.
Her story of working as a school bus driver for nearly two decades to keep the family together drew wide attention when Aaron signed his big contract extension in 2018.
Aaron publicly stated his life goal at that time was to retire his parents.
That quote, reported by ESPN journalist Darren Rovell in August 2018, confirmed Anita had driven a public school bus for two decades and that Archie had recycled tires to make ends meet.
Early Life of Anita Goggins
Anita Goggins grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she later raised her own family.
Her exact birth date has not been publicly confirmed across major sources, though multiple reports place her birth year around 1960.
She married Archie Donald, and the couple had three children together: Archie Donald Jr., Akita Donald, and Aaron Donald. Aaron, born on May 23, 1991, is the youngest of the three.
Anita and Archie separated when their children were still young. The split occurred around 1999.
Even after the separation, she remained closely involved in her children’s lives, rerouting her transportation work to pass through her neighborhood and attend her sons’ sporting events.
Anita Goggins Age / Birthday
Anita Goggins’ exact birth date has not been publicly confirmed. Based on the most widely reported estimate, her birth year is around 1960, which would make her approximately 65 or 66 years old as of 2026.
She has never publicly shared her precise date of birth. No major news source has confirmed an exact birthday for her.
Her son Aaron Donald turned 35 in May 2026, giving additional context to her life stage as a mother and now grandmother.
Anita Goggins Ethnicity and Nationality
Anita Goggins is American, born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her ethnic background is African American, a fact noted consistently across sources that have covered her family’s story.
Pittsburgh’s working-class communities shaped her upbringing and her approach to family. That environment also played a central role in how she and Archie raised their children.
Anita Goggins Height and Weight
Anita Goggins stands approximately 5 feet 4 inches tall, or about 163 cm. Her weight is reported at around 120 lbs, or 54 kg.
She has brown eyes and black hair. Her physical details have been covered briefly in profiles connected to Aaron Donald’s family life.
Anita Goggins Career
Anita Goggins spent the bulk of her working years in transportation. After her separation from Archie Donald, she took on driving work to provide for her children.
Journalist Darren Rovell reported in August 2018 that Anita drove a public school bus for approximately two decades.
She held that role while Aaron and his siblings were growing up, adjusting her routes whenever possible to stay present in their lives.
She would plan her schedules around her sons’ football games. Even with the demands of full-time driving work, she made a point of attending sporting events wherever she could.
Aaron Donald asked Anita to stop working once his NFL earnings grew large enough to support the family.
By the time he signed his major contract extensions with the Rams, he covered all family expenses and encouraged her to retire from driving.
Some reports indicate she also operated her own small transportation firm during this period, though she has never spoken publicly about the details of that work.
Since Aaron’s NFL success, Anita has lived comfortably and has been seen at Rams games supporting her son.
She has appeared in team media content, including a Pittsburgh Panthers segment in 2017.
In 2017, while Aaron was playing for the Los Angeles Rams, Anita took part in a video segment for Pittsburgh Football’s Pitt Football Moms series.
In that video, she described Aaron as a peaceful child who loved playing football in the backyard with his older brother.
She told the media that football had always been part of the family and that Aaron grew up with a strong desire to play the sport.
Anita Goggins Husband
Anita Goggins was previously married to Archie Donald. The couple met and married in Pittsburgh, where both were raised.
Together, they had three children: Archie Donald Jr., Akita Donald, and Aaron Donald. Sources report the couple separated around 1999, when their children were still young.
After the separation, Anita took on full-time transportation work to support the family. Despite the split, both parents stayed involved in their children’s lives.
Archie Donald Sr. played a major role in Aaron’s athletic development. He reportedly installed a gym in the family basement and woke Aaron up at 4:30 a.m. for daily two-hour workouts.
Anita, meanwhile, kept her driving routes close to home and attended as many games as her schedule allowed.
Aaron has credited both parents for his work ethic. When he signed an $87 million guaranteed extension with the Rams in 2018, he publicly stated his goal was to retire his mother and father.
Anita’s current relationship status is not publicly confirmed. No verified sources report a remarriage or new partner since her separation from Archie Donald.
Anita Goggins Children
Anita Goggins has three children with her former husband Archie Donald: Archie Donald Jr., Akita Donald, and Aaron Donald.
Archie Donald Jr. and Akita Donald are both older than Aaron. Akita later married and reportedly goes by the name Akita Marie, though the details of her personal life remain largely private.
Aaron Donald is the youngest and most publicly known of the three. He was born on May 23, 1991, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
He attended Penn Hills High School and later played college football at the University of Pittsburgh, where he became the program’s first unanimous All-American defensive player in 33 years.
Aaron went on to a 10-year NFL career entirely with the Los Angeles Rams. He retired in March 2024, then came out of retirement in August 2026 to sign a one-year deal worth up to $30 million and rejoin the Rams for the 2026 season.
He is also the father of three children: daughter Jaeda, son Aaron Jr., and youngest son Aaric, who was born in September 2021. Anita is a grandmother to all three.
In an NFL.com feature ahead of Super Bowl LVI, Anita recalled that Aaron’s daughter Jaeda had asked why he could not bring her confetti after the Rams lost the Super Bowl in February 2019.
Anita said that broke Aaron’s heart, and added that he works hard for his family above everything else.
Anita Goggins Net Worth
Anita Goggins’ personal net worth is not publicly confirmed. She did not hold a public-facing career and has not disclosed financial information through interviews or official sources.
Her son Aaron Donald, by contrast, has a widely reported estimated net worth of $60 million as of 2026.
That figure reflects his NFL salary over a 10-year career with the Rams, major contract extensions, and endorsement income.
Aaron’s 2018 contract extension included $87 million in guaranteed money. His 2026 comeback deal with the Rams is worth $20 million, rising to $30 million through incentives.
Those earnings have placed the Donald family in a strong financial position.
Aaron publicly retired his mother from work after his NFL income grew. Since then, Anita has not held a reported professional role.
Her day-to-day living expenses are covered through her son’s support.
With his 2026 comeback deal adding up to $30 million more, Aaron’s total career earnings place him comfortably among the highest-paid defensive players in NFL history.
Anita Goggins Social Media
Anita Goggins does not maintain a verified or publicly known social media presence. No confirmed Instagram, X (Twitter), or Facebook accounts linked to her have appeared in major reporting.
Her son Aaron Donald is active on Instagram at @aarondonald99, where he has shared family moments including photos featuring his children and family members over the years.
Conclusion
Anita Goggins raised a Super Bowl champion and three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year while working as a school bus driver for close to two decades in Pittsburgh.
Her story became nationally known in 2018 when Aaron Donald publicly named retiring his parents as his first goal after signing one of the largest contracts in Rams history.