Aug 8, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; New Orleans Saints outside linebacker Ronald Powell (56) catches a pass during warm ups before a game against the St. Louis Rams at Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Former NFL linebacker and high school standout Ronald Powell passed away Monday at the age of 32.

Powell was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 2014 and spent time with them and the Seattle Seahawks in his NFL career.

Former Saints teammate Junior Galette shared the unfortunate news Monday night.

“I Love You Forever till we meet again an EXCELLENT FATHER Respected Brother and a Loving Son I am saddened to shared with the rest of the world that Ronald Powell Transitioned Earlier today. REST IN POWER RONALD POWELL,” Galette posted to X.

Originally from Riverside, California, Powell was the top-ranked recruit in the class of 2010. He chose the Florida Gators over dozens of other offers from top schools but suffered multiple ACL injuries in his college career. He had 11 career sacks in his time at Florida and forced one fumble.

The Gators released a statement Tuesday afternoon on X, saying, “We’re very saddened to learn about the passing of former Gators player Ronald Powell. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones.”

Powell signed to play for the Alliance of American Football’s Orlando Apollos for the 2019 season but suffered an injury in the preseason and the league ceased operations before he was able to return from the injury.

[Junior Galette] [Florida Gators]