Former Houston Texans quarterback Ryan Mallett drowned Tuesday while vacationing in Florida.
According to Otis Kirk from Pig Trail Nation, White Hall superintendent Gary Williams confirmed that Mallett had passed away.
“It is with great sadness that we share the loss of Coach Ryan Mallett,” the statement read. “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 former five-star recruit from Texarkana Texas High School initially went to Michigan before transferring to Arkansas for the 2009-10 campaigns.
Mallett was the head football coach at White Hall High School at the time of his death.
The New England Patriots picked Mallett in Round 3 of the 2011 NFL draft. The Patriots traded Mallett at the end of preseason to the Texans for a conditional sixth-round pick. Over the next two seasons, Mallett went 2-4 with a 5-6 touchdown to interception ratio and a 65.0 passer rating.
Mallett was part of one of the memorable highlights in J.J. Watt’s career. On Nov. 16, 2014, at the Cleveland Browns, Mallett threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Watt to take a 7-0 lead with 7:09 to go in the first quarter. Houston would go on to beat the Browns 23-7 at FirstEnergy Stadium.
Despite having familiarity with Bill O’Brien, who was his offensive coordinator with New England, Mallett was released midway through the 2015 season. The 6-7, 250-pound signal caller played with the Baltimore Ravens from 2015-17.
Mallett began coaching at White Hall in 2020 as an assistant coach, and became head football coach in 2022. According to MaxPreps, the Bulldogs went 4-6 in Mallett’s lone season with a 3-5 record in conference play.