Sweet Pea Whitaker’s nephew goes gridiron
Ronyell Whitaker, nephew of Pernell “Sweet Pea� Whitaker, is doing well with another NFL team after contemplating following in his uncle’s footsteps.
The former Virginia Tech defensive back was drafted by Tampa Bay in 2003, spent most of the next two seasons on the practice squad, was waived after training camp in 2005 and spent last season at home in Norfolk, VA.
“When I was sitting at home last year, I was considering going back to the gym and becoming a pro boxer,” Whitaker told the Associated Press.
Whitaker instead chose to sign with the Minnesota Vikings. He then went to Europe cultivate his skills playing for the Rhein Fire. He did exceptionally well, making the All-NFL Europe team. Now back in the United States, the Vikings’ coaching staff is very excited about his future.
“He has kind of an extra heartbeat,” said Vikings head coach Brad Childress said. “He always plays with a high tempo, and it doesn’t surprise me that he’s playing that way.”
Ronyell trained in his uncle’s gym as a youth, and credits boxing for part of his success.
“It helped me with football as far as quickness, a lot of shoulder movement, head movement,” Whitaker said. “So it helped me a lot. And nobody’s better conditioned than boxers. Nobody.”
His uncle, a boxing virtuoso, dominated the welterweight division in the mid-1990s. However, drug problems hampered his career and kept Sweet Pea from maximizing his accomplishments.
“Not only did I sit back and learn a lot of stuff from him just by watching him in the ring, but I also learned a lot of things not to do,” Whitaker said. “Not to let it carry on when I turned professional in whatever sport I did, whether it was boxing or football.