By Nicole Auerbach, Bruce Feldman and Jeff Zrebiec
Former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett died on Tuesday in Florida, according to the school district where he coached high school football. He was 35 years old.
A Michigan source confirmed to The Athletic that Mallett had drowned in Florida.
Mallett, who began his collegiate career at Michigan, is best known for his years at Arkansas, where he set more than a dozen records and revitalized the program. He holds Arkansas’ school record for single-season passing yards (3,869) and touchdowns (32). Many around the program consider him the best quarterback in Razorback history. Mallett was known for his incredible arm strength and the hype that surrounded him; he was the Gatorade National Player of the Year in Texas in 2006 and the No. 2 quarterback in the Class of 2007, according to 247Sports.
“We are shocked and saddened by the passing of Ryan Mallett,” Arkansas’ football program 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.”
Mallett was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He backed up quarterback Tom Brady for three seasons before being traded to the Houston Texans in 2014. Between his time in Houston and subsequent seasons as a Baltimore Raven, Mallett ultimately started eight NFL games.
“The New England Patriots are deeply saddened to learn of the sudden and unexpected passing of former quarterback Ryan Mallett,” the team said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the Mallett family, his former teammates and all who are mourning his loss.”
After his playing days ended, Mallett had transitioned into coaching, first as an assistant coach and later as the head coach at White Hall High School in Arkansas. He had become head coach in Feb. 2022 and served in that capacity until the time of his death.
“It is with great sadness that we share the loss of coach Ryan Mallett,” White Hall School District said in a statement. “Coach Mallett was a beloved coach and educator. We ask that you remember his family, team, students, fellow coaches and the White Hall School District staff in your prayers.”
How I will remember Mallett
Mallett was a huge recruit, literally, coming out of high school. He went to the Elite 11 as a 5-star QB heading to Michigan. He got the nickname Big Tex. He was big, and his arm was even bigger. Mallett towered over everyone else there, save for LSU’s JaMarcus Russell, who was there as a counselor.
Two memories from that week have always stuck with me whenever I heard Mallett’s name: The only arm I’ve ever seen in person that was as powerful was Russell’s. At that camp, they both could wing the ball so hard, with so much juice on it, that when they threw at the targets in one of the QB challenges, it would skip off the ground with so much heat that the ball would take the skin off anyone’s shins if they were in the line of fire.
The other memory was of him goading me into playing him in NCAA Football. I don’t know if he intentionally let me get a lead, but he sure relished trash-talking every step of the way of his comeback, and he was really good at that too. Too good. What I realized was his personality was just as big as his arm. — Feldman
What Mallett meant to Baltimore
Mallett started only three games for the Ravens over parts of three seasons, but he helped author one of the more improbable victories in team history. The 2015 Ravens were 5-10 heading into their Week 16 matchup against their biggest rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they were decimated by injuries. Starting quarterback Joe Flacco was out for the season with a knee injury. Matt Schaub and Jimmy Clausen had already started two games each. The Ravens officially signed Mallett on Dec. 15.
Twelve days later, he led a 20-17 home upset of the playoff-bound Steelers by throwing for 274 yards and a touchdown. Mallett wore a huge smile on his face as he jogged off the field clutching the game ball. After his difficult ending in Houston, you could just tell how much the win meant to him. And given how much the Ravens love beating the Steelers, Mallett earned a permanent place in Ravens lore. — Zrebiec
What they’re saying
Patriots coach Bill Belichick said he was “extremely saddened by Ryan’s tragic passing. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and the many people whose lives he touched.”
Former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr issued a statement about his program’s former QB.
“I am deeply saddened to hear of Ryan’s passing,” Carr said. “It is heartbreaking news. Prayers for Ryan and his family.”
(Photo by Wesley Hitt / Getty Images)
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