Former New Orleans Saints LB dies at 32
Ronald Powell, a former NFL linebacker, passed away, the NFLPA reports. His age was thirty-two.
We lament the passing of Ronald Powell today; he was a beloved son, brother, and father to a large number of people. To everyone who knew Ronald, we express our condolences. #RIP,” the NFLPA original Players account posted early on Tuesday morning on X, the original name of Twitter.
Powell was chosen by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, out of Florida. Powell was placed on injured reserve at the start of the 2015 season and waived after playing in 14 games as a rookie for the Saints. In 2015 and 2016, he was a member of the practice squads of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Chicago Bears. In 2017, he briefly played with the Seattle Seahawks before being cut during training camp.
Powell played his final professional season in the Alliance of American Football with the Orlando Apollos before the league folded in 2019.
After graduating from Rancho Verde High School in Southern California in 2010, Powell was rated as the top high school recruit by Rivals.com. From 2010 to 2013, he played in 53 games during his three seasons at Florida, totaling 79 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks. 2014 saw him announce his candidacy for the draft following the end of his junior campaign.
“We are deeply saddened to hear of Ronald Powell’s demise, a former Gators player. Through the Florida Gators Football account on X, the school said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones.”
