Former NFL QB Ryan Mallett Passes Away After Drowning In Florida Waters

Former Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett Dies After Drowning At 35

Former NFL and University of Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett died in an apparent drowning incident along Florida’s Gulf Coast. He was 35 years old.

Arkansas’ Deltaplex News reported Tuesday that Mallett was transported after the incident from a beach in Destin, Florida, to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Officials with the White Hall School District, where Mallett worked, confirmed his death. Mallett was the head football coach at White Hall High School.

 

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“It is with great sadness that we share the loss of Coach Ryan Mallett,” the statement reads. “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 Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the nature of Mallett’s death in a statement Tuesday afternoon.

“A tourist died in an apparent drowning offshore of Gulf Shore Drive in Destin,” the statement reads. “A group of individuals were reportedly struggling offshore when a man went under. He was not breathing when lifeguards found and pulled him out. Tragically lifesaving measures weren’t successful.”

OCSO later confirmed the man identified as “a tourist” was Mallett after his next of kin was notified. News of Mallett’s death arrives amid 11 reported deaths attributed to rip currents along the Gulf Coast in recent weeks.