The NFL world is mourning the loss of Ryan Mallett who died in an apparent drowning in Florida. One of the NFL stars who paid tribute to the late quarterback is Tom Brady who was a teammate of Mallett when the two played for the New England Patriots.
“We lost a great man. Thank you for everything Ryan,” Brady wrote in his Instagram story, per the New York Post. “Praying for the Mallett family and all their loved ones tonight.” According to KNWA Fox 24, Mallett drowned while vacationing in Florida with his girlfriend Madison Carter. He was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Mallett was 35 years old.
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Mallett was selected by the Patriots in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft after having a successful college football career at the University of Arkansas. He was Brady’s backup QB for three seasons before being traded to the Houston Texans in 2014. Mallett was with the Texans for nearly two seasons before signing with the Baltimore Ravens in December 2015. His final season in the NFL was in 2017.
Mallett played for Arkansas in 2009 and 2010 and was selected to the All-SEC team in both seasons. In 2009, Mallett threw for 3,624 yards and 30 touchdowns. And in 2010, Mallett threw for 3,869 yards and 32 touchdowns. “We are shocked and saddened by the passing of Ryan Mallett,” the Arkansas Razorbacks football team said in a statement. “He was a Razorback legend with larger-than-life talent and a personality to match. He led our program to some of our best moments in recent memory. He will be missed by everyone who knew him. Our thoughts and prayers are with his mother Debbie and his extended family.”
Before his death, Mallett was the head football coach at White Hall High School in White Hall, Arkansas. “Coach Mallett was an exceptional individual, both on and off the field. His unwavering dedication, contagious passion, and exceptional skills made him an integral part of our community and a role model for countless aspiring athletes,” Jefferson County Sheriff Lafayette Woods Jr. wrote in a Facebook post. “He touched the lives of many as he guided and inspired our young players, instilling in them values of perseverance, sportsmanship, and teamwork.”
