Connect with us

Football

Record-setting former QB’s death stuns teammates, coaches, fans

Razorbacks, fans, express outpouring of grief and remember former quarterback, who drowned in Gulf of Mexico on vacation Tuesday.

Published

on

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The details on former Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett’s drowning Tuesday in the Gulf of Mexico are still a little thin, but many fans are shocked and saddened at the news.

The guy who set school passing records for the Razorbacks in just two seasons was now the head football coach at White Hall High School that was also stunned at the news from his vacation.

His death was confirmed by the White Hall School District in a post to its website. The Okaloosa (Fla.) County Sheriff’s Office identified Mallett as the victim of an apparent drowning offshore of Destin, Fla., a popular summer destination for beachgoers.

The sheriff’s office said it was investigating the accident. First responders were called to the beach behind 775 Gulf Shore Drive around 2:12 p.m.

“A group of people in the water near the second sandbar had reportedly been struggling to make their way back to shore,” the sheriff’s office wrote. “One of the individuals, an adult male, went under and lifeguards say he was not breathing when pulled out. Lifesaving measures were immediately undertaken but the man was pronounced deceased at the Destin Emergency Room.”

The White Hall School District described Mallett as a “beloved coach and educator” in a message to its website. It concluded with, “We ask that you remember his family, team, students, fellow coaches, and the White Hall School District staff in your prayers.”

Directing Bobby Petrino’s offense, Mallett directed an offense that blew up scoreboards and re-wrote the offense for the Hogs in 2009-10. For a lot of fans, it was a welcome relief after they had been jumping up and down proclaiming their superior coaching knowledge wanting more of an air attack for nearly a decade. That’s just fans.

The proof is in your final record and Mallett was 19-8 in two seasons and broke a lot of the passing records. He was the best deep passer seen for the Hogs since the days of Joe Ferguson in the early 1970’s.

He was the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2006, was ranked the No. 2 quarterback nationally in his class and played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, where he was named the best player on his team.

Mallett played some as a true freshman at Michigan in 2007, but transferred to Arkansas with great fanfare following coaching changes for the Wolverines and the Razorbacks late that year.

He redshirted the 2008 season while learning coach Bobby Petrino’s offense, then mastered it as he started every game his final two seasons with the Razorbacks.

After starting his coaching career at Mountain Home, he had just completed a year at White Hall High School, just north of Pine Bluff, which also lost a key player just over a month ago. His offensive coordinator was former Razorback teammate Jarius Wright, who also was shocked at the news.

No more details are available at this time, but will be passed on as they become available here, social media and ESPN Arkansas programming.

Advertisement

2024 Razorbacks Football

Thu, Aug 29vs UAPB (Little Rock)W, 70-0
Sat, Sep 7@ Oklahoma StateL, 31-39 2OT
Sat, Sep 14vs UABW, 37-27
Sat, Sep 21@ AuburnW, 24-14
Sat, Sep 28vs Texas A&M (Arl)L, 21-17
Sat, Oct 5vs TennesseeW, 19-14
Sat, Oct 19vs LSUL, 34-10
Sat, Oct 26@ Mississippi StateW, 58-25
Sat, Nov 2vs Ole MissL, 63-31
Sat, Nov 16vs Texas11:00 AM
ABC
Sat, Nov 23vs Louisiana Tech3:00 PM
ESPN+/SECN+
Sat, Nov 30@ Missouri2:30 or 3:30 PM
TBA
Advertisement

Advertisement

2024 High School Rankings

Following is the Arkansas Sports Media High School Football Poll including the Overall Top 10, the top five in Classes 7A, 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A and 2A, plus the top three in the 8-man division, as voted by a panel of sports media from around the state for the week ending August 24. Ranking is given with first-place votes received, records, total points and ranking from last week's poll:
OVERALLRecordPtsPrv
1.Bryant (19)9-02711
2.Conway (7)9-02522
3.Greenwood (2)9-02213
4.Little Rock Parkview8-11804
5.Bentonville6-31575
6.Benton8-11386
7.Fayetteville7-21057
8.Pulaski Academy7-2978
9.Rogers6-3389
10.Mountain Home8-129
Others receiving votes: Joe T Robinson 12, Elkins 7, LR Catholic 7, Shiloh Christian 7, Valley View 7, Cabot 6, Marion 4, LR Christian 1.
CLASS 7A
1.Bryant (21)9-01331
2.Conway (7)9-01192
3.Bentonville6-3783
4.Fayetteville7-2504
5.Pulaski Academy7-2335
Others receiving votes: Rogers 7.
CLASS 6A
1.Greenwood (28)9-01401
2.Benton8-11122
3.Mountain Home8-1775
4.Shiloh Christian6-3353
5.Little Rock Catholic8-128
Others receiving votes: Marion 24.
CLASS 5A
1.Little Rock Parkview (27)8-11391
2.Joe T. Robinson8-11022
3.Valley View (1)9-0943
4.Farmington8-1435
5.Hot Springs Lakeside7-2214
Others receiving votes: Camden Fairview 8, Harding Academy 8, Morrilton 3, Vilonia 1.
CLASS 4A
1.Elkins (18)9-01291
2.Little Rock Mills (4)9-0753
3.Arkadelphia (3)7-2712
4.Warren7-2594
5.Malvern (3)9-0485
Others receiving votes: Dardanelle 18, Southside Batesville 13, Mena 6, Highland 1.
CLASS 3A
1.Bismarck (11)9-01081
Fordyce (11)9-01082
3.Osceola (3)7-1654
4.Prescott (2)8-1603
5.Booneville (1)8-1275
Others receiving votes: Mansfield 20, Rivercrest 20, Charleston 4, Rison 9, Mayflower 3.
CLASS 2A
1.Carlisle (24)9-01351
2.Conway Christian (3)9-01102
3.Bigelow (1)7-2724
4.Murfreesboro7-2535
5.Des Arc7-2283
Others receiving votes: East Poinsett County 8, Marked Tree 4, Cross County 3, Poyen 3, Junction City 2, Mount Ida 2.
8-MAN SANCTIONED
1.Strong-Huttig (27)5-0831
2.Midland (1)8-0542
3.Cedar Ridge8-1273
Others receiving votes: Woodlawn 4.

© COPYRIGHT 2017-24 BY PEARSON BROADCASTING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ESPN ARKANSAS 99.5 IN FAYETTEVILLE, 95.3 IN THE RIVER VALLEY, 96.3 IN HOT SPRINGS, 104.3 IN HARRISON-MOUNTAIN HOME.