Former NFL Quarterback Ryan Mallett Dead at 35 in Apparent Drowning

Former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett, who made a name for himself with the New England Patriots, Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens, has died. USA Today Sports reports that the 35-year-old athlete-turned-coach died on Tuesday (June 27) in an apparent drowning in Florida.

"The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office is investigating an apparent drowning that claimed the life of a tourist in the Gulf of Mexico this afternoon," the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office in Florida says in a statement to USA Today Sports.

"First responders were called to the beach behind 775 Gulf Shore Drive in Destin around 2:12PM. A group of people in the water near the second sandbar had reportedly been struggling to make their way back to shore. 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. We do not have confirmation at this time of next of kin notification," the statement concludes.

Mallett began his rise in football while playing college football with the Arkansas Razorbacks, after which the Patriots drafted him in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He spent five years in the NFL, going on to play for the Texans and the Ravens. Most recently, Mallett made the move to coaching, accepting a position as head coach at White Hall High School in White Hall, Ark., in 2022.

"It is with great sadness that we share the loss of Coach Ryan Mallett," the White Hall School District writes in a statement on its website. "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."

The NFL, the Patriots, the Ravens, former Texans defensive end J.J. Watt and more were among those who also paid tribute to Mallett online.