Donaldson attended East Rome High School where he participated in basketball and football, playing as a linebacker, fullback and tight end.
In 1983, he was named as a first alternate to the Pro Bowl, while helping the team lead the AFC with 2,695 rushing yards.
At the time, he was tied for second-place all-time for years of service with the club, trailing only Johnny Unitas' 17 seasons.
On April 20, 1993, Donaldson signed as a free agent with the Seattle Seahawks and anchored an offensive line that helped the team lead the AFC in rushing for the first time in franchise history with 2,015 yards.
Needing help at center after Mark Stepnoski left to the Houston Oilers, the Dallas Cowboys signed Donaldson as an unrestricted free agent on March 20, 1995.
He was replaced by Derek Kennard and missed the last 4 regular-season games and all of the playoffs, including Super Bowl XXX.
[7] He was also part of a formidable offensive line that included: Larry Allen, Nate Newton, Mark Tuinei and Erik Williams.
During his high school football days at East Rome, he was teammates with future Pro Wrestling legend Arn Anderson[8]