Ryan Mallett, former Arkansas Razorbacks star and long-time NFL backup QB, has died at the age of 35. Authorities believe Mallett drowned after being caught in a riptide off the Florida coast.
Mallett began his football journey at Texas High School in Texarkana, Texas. He threw for over 7000 yards during his high school career and won the Glenn Davis Army Award at the 2007 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He opted to play for the Michigan Wolverines, battling for the starting job with Chad Henne. However, he transferred to Arkansas after Michigan hired Rich Rodriguez.
Mallett, who was born 142 miles from Fayetteville in Batesville, quickly became an Arkansas legend. He threw for nearly 4000 yards in each of his two seasons as a Razorback. Furthermore, he is second all-time in terms of passing yards and touchdowns at the school. He was drafted in the third round of the 2011 draft and played in the NFL until 2017.
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Tom Brady Leads Tributes To Mallett
The shocking news rocked both the college and pro football worlds. Tributes poured in for Mallett, who had most recently been coaching high school football in Arkansas. Among these tributes was NFL great Tom Brady. Mallett was originally drafted by the Patriots in 2011 and backed up Brady until 2013.
Taking to his Instagram story, Brady shared a picture of him with Mallett. “We lost a great man. Thank you for everything Ryan,” Brady wrote. “Praying for the Mallet family and all their loved ones tonight,” he continued.
Razorback Nation took the death particularly hard. Mallett was a beloved figure at Donald W. Reynolds Stadium. Not only did Mallett lead the Razorbacks to back-to-back bowl games, he was also known as a kind and energetic member of the college community. “[Mallett] was just a legend. He was also just a great guy and friend,” said former Arkansas running back Broderick Green.
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Furthermore, the news of Mallett’s death came just hours after Arkansas announced its Hall of Honor class for 2023. Two of the nine individuals named were linked to the football program.
Felix Jones played for the Razorbacks as a running back between 2005 and 2007. He amassed nearly 3000 career rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns. He was named a consensus All-American in 2007. A first-round draftee in 2008, he played in the NFL until 2013, spending most of his career with the Cowboys. Also joining the hall is former head coach Houston Nutt. Nutt played QB for the Razorbacks in the 70s before working as a coach in three different stints. The most significant of these was as head coach between 1998 and 2007.
The Razorbacks Hall of Honor ceremony will be held on September 8. The Razorbacks football team holds their home opener against Kent State on September 9. However, at the time of writing, the Razorbacks are yet to announce plans to honor Mallett’s passing.
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