Ryan Mallett, a former NFL and Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback, died on Tuesday, according to Deltaplex News in Pine Bluff, Arkansas (per 247Sports). He was 35 years old. The outlet said Mallett died after drowning in Florida. He was transported from a beach to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Mallett began his college football career at the University of Michigan in 2007. He played in 11 games with three starts and threw for seven touchdowns. He then transferred to Arkansas in 2008 and sat out a year due to NCAA rules. Mallett was the team’s starting quarterback in 2009 and 2010 and was one of the top passers in the SEC. He made the All-SEC Second Team in his two seasons with the Razorbacks as he threw for at least 3,600 yards and 30 touchdowns each year.
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Mallett’s success at Arkansas led to him being selected in the third round by the New England Patriots in the 2011 NFL Draft. He just played in four games in three seasons with the Patriots and completed one pass for 17 yards. In 2014, Mallett was traded to the Houston Texans and would be the team’s backup QB until November of that season when Ryan Fitzpatrick was benched. In three games with two starts, Mallett threw for 400 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Mallett returned to the Texans in 2015 and battled for the starting spot with Brian Hoyer. He played in six games for the Texans before being released by the team. In December 2015, Mallett signed with the Ravens after Matt Schaub and Joe Flacco suffered injuries. In two starts, Mallett threw for 566 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He was with the Ravens for the 2016 and 2017 seasons and played in six games during that span. In his NFL career, Mallett played in 21 games and threw for 1,835 yards, nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Following his NFL career, Mallett became a high school football coach. In 2020, Mallett was named assistant coach at Mountian Home High School in Mountain Home, Arkansas. Last year, Mallett was named head coach at White Hall High School in White Hall Arkansas.
“I’m just trying to get our program out there and get our kids seen, do anything we can to help them get to school,” Mallett said to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette last year before the high school football season.
