Ryan Mallett, a former star quarterback at Arkansas and a third-round draft pick by the New England Patriots in 2011, died in an apparent drowning at a Florida beach on Tuesday, officials said.
He was 35 years old.
Mallett was pulled unconscious from the water in Destin and pronounced dead at a hospital, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said.
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The Patriots released the following statement on Mallett's passing:
“The New England Patriots are deeply saddened to learn of the sudden and unexpected passing of former quarterback Ryan Mallett. Our thoughts are with the Mallett family, his former teammates and all who are mourning his loss.”
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick shared a statement of his own.
“I am extremely saddened by Ryan’s tragic passing," he said. "My thoughts and prayers are with his family and the many people whose lives he touched.”
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Some of Mallett's ex-Patriots teammates and NFL peers reacted to the news on social media.
"We lost a great man. Thank you for everything Ryan," former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady wrote in an Instagram story Tuesday night. "Praying for the Mallett family and all their loved ones tonight."
Prior to his death, Mallett was serving as the head football coach at White Hall High School in White Hall, Arkansas. In a statement, the school district mourned the death of a "beloved coach and educator."
"It is with great sadness that we share the loss of Coach Ryan Mallett," the White Hall School District said. "Coach Mallett was a beloved coach and educator."
Mallett played quarterback for Arkansas from 2008-2010. He still owns a number of school records, including most single-season passing yards (3,627), most passing yards in a game (408), most passing touchdowns in a game (5, three times), and most passing TDs in a season (30).
The Patriots selected Mallett with the 74th overall pick in the 2011 draft. He was traded to the Houston Texans in 2014 and spent the final two-and-a-half years of his NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens from 2015-17.