New York Giants' Francis Mauigoa ready to face the man he once idolized

Los Angeles Rams legendary defensive tackle and future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald returns to the field on Monday night against the New York Giants after two years away.

Waiting for him will be Giants rookie guard Francis "Sisi" Mauigoa, the 10th overall selection in this year's NFL draft, who, like many young players, idolized Donald growing up.

Donald, 35, retired after the 2023 season and is said to be in game shape. He will have to be. Mauigoa is one of the league's promising new stars. This game will be a battle for everyone to focus on.

Mauigoa, who stands 6-foot-6, weighs 330 pounds, and plays with a chip on his shoulder, is ready.

"It's going to be a tough challenge," Mauigoa told NJ Advance Media this week . "The best opponent I'll ever go against in my whole life, I guess."

"I mean, he's Aaron Donald. People lose sleep from him. Obviously, I have the utmost respect for him. He's still going to be him. He's still going to be a game wrecker, somebody that can change the game."

Asked if he was losing sleep over facing Donald, Sisi said he wasn't.

"Nah," he said. "I usually go in with a neutral mentality. I adopted this when I was at Miami — nameless, faceless. It doesn't matter who you're facing. You've just got to trust your own technique and your own playing style."

That being said, Mauigoa feels he knows what to expect from Donald.

"He's going to be the type of guy that is going to do whatever he wants to do," Mauigoa said. "It can be a pain in the ass. But he made a name for himself with it — a person that doesn't have a tap-out button. He'll keep going and keep going."