DESTIN, Fla. – Former Houston Texans quarterback Ryan Mallett, who drowned at a beach in Destin, Florida yesterday, is now being remembered by those who knew him on and off the field.
Mallet was just 35 years old and even though his career took him out of Houston, it’s clear his loss is being felt in our area.
Hearts are heavy tonight for local friends of Mallett.
“He’s gone too soon,” said Mallett’s former college teammate, Knile Davis. “You know, Ryan was a great guy. Anybody who knows Ryan knows he had a big personality. He was a great athlete.”
Mallett played quarterback for the Texans in 2014 and 2015, starting a combined eight games before moving on to other teams and then becoming a high school coach.
When Mallett drowned at the beach in Destin, it was under warning because of dangerous rip currents.
“He was adventurous, it doesn’t surprise me that he was on the water, that’s his type of personality. Just an on-the-edge type of guy,” Davis said.
Davis, a Houston native played alongside Mallett in college for the Arkansas Razorbacks. Even though their NFL careers took them in different directions they remained close.
“It’s just an unfortunate incident,” Davis said.
Another former college teammate, Jerry Mitchell Jr., considers Mallett a major inspiration for himself becoming a coach at Athlete Training and Health inside the Memorial Hermann Sports Park in Katy.
“He was a staple in the community as a high school football coach. He always had a passion for giving back to the community. He really wanted to share the experiences that he made,” he said.
At NRG, the Texans organization called Mallett’s death incredibly heartbreaking, releasing a statement in conjunction with the NFL that reads,
“The NFL family is deeply saddened by the passing of Ryan Mallett. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Mallett family and his loved ones.”
The unwelcome news serves as a harsh reminder that if you get caught in a rip current, lifeguards say you should not panic, keep your head above water, and swim parallel to the shore.