Although Ronnie Stanley currently plays as an offensive tackle for the Ravens in the NFL, he used to juggle basketball and football in his high school days. Having played varsity for Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Stanley’s football career kicked off after he joined the University of Notre Dame in 2012. After spending 3 years playing college football, his best moment came when he won the Polynesian Football Player of the Year award in 2015.

On the back of an impressive college resume, Stanley was picked by the Ravens in the 2016 NFL draft. Quickly becoming one of their key players, Stanley took home a First-team All-Pro and a Pro Bowler accolade in 2019. Standing at 6-foot-6, 315 pounds, Stanley garnered quite the attention coming from a Tongan descent. But whom did he get that from? Well, knowing about his parents might help you find out more about his unique culture.

Who are Ronnie Stanley’s parents?

Born to Juli and Ron Stanley in 1994, Ronnie found his Tongan descent from his mother, who was born in Tonga. She has been a constant support to Ronnie’s career in the NFL. One of those instances came when Stanley suffered a brutal ankle injury against the Steelers in 2020. Although that gruesome injury ended his season, his mom was there to share her emotions about his recovery: “It’s almost surreal. Lots of emotions. Physically, he’s coming out of something he’s never experienced before. But this is different coming home, and it’s been so long.”

Apart from his mother, Ronnie’s father, Ron, is equally supportive of his journey as a footballer. They like to watch their son play football on the television at home. Although Stanley has come from a Tongan culture in his family, both of his parents are of American nationality. However, it didn’t stop Stanley from getting some taste of Tongan heritage when growing up.

What was Ronnie’s childhood like?

Ronnie Stanley was a young man when he first knew about his half-Tongan descent. It was his parents who slowly introduced him to the culture. Well, he wasn’t alone, as his brother, Robert and sister, Raychel, also joined in. They used to visit family reunions that helped him learn more about the Tongan culture. He even said that talking with Tongan people helped them gulp their heritage quickly in their childhood.

Since winning the Polynesian Pro Football POTY award in 2019, he also spoke about the love he received from Tongan NFL fan:, “For sure, I always get some type of tweet, some message from not just Tongan fans but Polynesian fans in general. It’s such a small group of people compared to other races in America. To see someone of that ethnicity playing football. They all support us because there’s only a handful of us.” While opening up about the support he receives from Tongan fans, he also spilled the secret behind his huge tattoos.

“I always thought tribal tattoos were amazing. Just the detail, the pattern, the art, the symmetry. What I got was actually done by Haloti Ngata’s little brother.” Of all the tattoos he has on his body, his most special ones are in the middle. “I have a big dove that’s on my grandma’s tombstone. I also have my mom’s name written within the design.” Seeing the Tongan heritage tattoos he has on himself shows the respect he has for the culture. Playing his 8th year in the NFL this season, we hope Ronnie Stanley continues to make his Tongan descent proud. He has surely made his parents and siblings proud of what he is achieving in the NFL.