Ronyell Whitaker, a former NFL player, Virginia Tech standout and high school football coach, died on Feb. 22 at the age of 46. Laurie Charboneau, Whitaker’s partner, shared in an interview on Wednesday with M Health Fairview that Whitaker saved four lives through organ donation.
Charboneau described Whitaker as “the guy who wanted to help everybody” — a quality that extended beyond his death.
“He always wanted to help in any way, and I’m sure he felt the same way when he checked the box to be an organ donor,” Charboneau said.
Whitaker donated his corneas, four organs and his heart for research.
Whitaker built a long career in football and served as a mentor to many. He began his journey at Lake Taylor High School in Norfolk, Virginia, before playing college football at Virginia Tech. He signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2003 and later played for the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions. After retiring from professional football in 2010, he became a defensive backs coach at Chanhassen High School from 2014 to 2018.
“Ronyell loved coaching high school kids,” Charboneau said in the interview. “He would introduce himself to the parents and say, ‘I’m not just their football coach. I’m their mentor, so if the kids ever have something going on, I’m here.’”
Charboneau and Whitaker’s family were aware of his wish to be an organ donor.
“You don’t know what an impact you could have on so many lives,” Charboneau said.
His family shared a statement on the day of his death saying that those closest to him knew him “best for his generous heart” and “unwavering loyalty and deep love for his family.”
“He was a protector, a mentor and a source of strength and laughter to all who had the blessing of knowing him,” the statement said.
According to Donate Life America, a nonprofit founded in 1992, more than 100,000 people are currently waiting for lifesaving organ transplants in the United States.
