Ronald Powell, former Saints, Florida Gators linebacker, dead at 32

Ronald Powell, who played one season at linebacker for the New Orleans Saints after competing for three years at the University of Florida, has died, the NFL Players Association announced on Tuesday. He was 32.

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The NFLPA announced Powell’s death on X, formerly known as Twitter. A cause of death was not revealed, NBC News reported. It was unclear where Powell died.

“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 wrote. “We send comfort to all those who knew Ronald,” the association wrote.

Powell played at the University of Florida in 2010, 2011 and 2013, according to Sports-Reference.com. He had 11 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss as a linebacker and defensive lineman with the Gators, Sports Illustrated reported.

The Saints made Powell a fifth-round pick in the 2014 NFL draft, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com. He played one season in New Orleans and appeared in 14 games at linebacker.

A knee injury shortened his career, and Powell later appeared on practice squads for Tampa Bay and Chicago, “Today” reported. He later joined the Seattle Seahawks, who released him in 2017, according to the news outlet.

Powell was last active with the Orlando Apollos in the Alliance of American Football in 2019, according to Sports Illustrated.

Powell was a five-star recruit out of Rancho Verde High School in Moreno Valley, California, who signed with Florida, according to the magazine.

Officials at Florida said they were saddened to learn about his death.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones,” the Gators wrote on X.

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