DESTIN, Fla. – Former Houston Texans quarterback Ryan Mallett drowned at a Florida beach Tuesday, according to several reports. He was 35.
According to Deltaplex News, Mallett was transported to a Florida hospital from the beach and was pronounced dead.
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Mallett was going into his second season as the head coach at White Hall High School in Arkansas, NBC Sports reported. He played for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks.
Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek said the university “lost an incredibly special person.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and teammates of Ryan Mallett,” Yurachek said in a tweet.
Mallett was a third-round pick for the Patriots in 2011. After playing four games for the team, he went on to play for the Texans, where he made six starts in nine games. He had two starts in eight appearances with the Ravens. Mallett stopped playing in the NFL in 2017.
New England coach Bill Belichick said he was “extremely saddened” by Mallett’s passing.
“My thoughts and prayers are with his family and the many people whose lives he touched,” Belichick said in a statement posted by the team on Twitter.
JJ Watt took to Twitter also to express his sadness about the news, saying Mallett was “Gone way too soon.”
The Texarkana native was ranked the #4 overall player in the country as he graduated high school, TVH11 reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.