Former Florida LB Ronald Powell Passes Away; NFLPA, Gators Issue Statements
The NFL Players Association's Former Players Fraternity on Tuesday confirmed the passing of former Florida Gators and pro linebacker Ronald Powell. He was 32 years old.
"Today we mourn the loss of Ronald Powell- a father, a brother, and a son who was loved and cherished by so many," the NFLPA Former Players Fraternity said in a statement via social media. "We send comfort to all those who knew Ronald. [Rest in peace]."
A cause of death was not immediately available for Powell, who passed away on Monday, Jan. 15., according to Junior Galette, a former teammate of Powell's with the New Orleans Saints in 2014.
Powell, a native of Moreno Valley, Calif., signed with Florida as a five-star recruit and the consensus No. 1 prospect, regardless of position, in the class of 2010 from Rancho Verde High. He made an immediate impact with the Gators, recording 57 total tackles with seven sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss over his first two seasons in Gainesville.
But multiple tears of his left ACL in 2012, first in Florida's Orange and Blue spring game and another during his recovery from the initial injury, limited Powell to one appearance as a junior and seemingly impacted the rest of his football career.
He returned to UF for a redshirt junior season in 2013 and tallied 26 tackles with seven for loss and four sacks before declaring for the pros.
"It's been well documented the hardships he has had to overcome and he has always kept a positive attitude," former Florida head coach Will Muschamp said of Powell at the time.
Powell was selected by the Saints in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played 14 games during his rookie season with New Orleans, but did not make another career appearance despite stints with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks into 2017, receiving multiple injury designations along the way.
Powell's football career briefly relaunched when he signed with the Orlando Apollos of the now-defunct AAF for its lone 2019 season, joining former Florida head coach Steve Spurrier's spring league team. He was placed on the waived/injured list before the season began, however, and did not play in a game.
Tributes continued to pour in for Powell via social media on Tuesday, including from the Florida football program, which wrote that its "thoughts and prayers are with [Powell's] family and loved ones."
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