Former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett dead after drowning in Florida: report Small world reality check for me. I just saw this headline and it brought back a memory. Some 14-15 years ago when Arkansas came to play at Florida Field, the Friday before, Arkansas was staying in Ocala. They were looking for a place to practice and the closest high school was West Port High. Someone from the school gave me the heads up so I went over with my camera. It was raining so the whole team went into their gym. Mallet was their starter QB and a high prospect for the NFL at that point. It was strange to see him so tall and skinny without his pads on. As I walked in, it was a mass of players watching 11 on 11 drills. Mallet was zinging them all over the wood floor inside the gym and everyone was in their shorts and gym shoes. Towards the end Arkansas started practicing a reverse over and over. I even memorized the player alignment. I was not a poster on GC yet but I told several of my Gator friends to look for the reverse. I was at the game and saw the alignment before it happened. I jumped up screaming, watch the reverse, as loud as I could like it would help, ya right. Well they broke it for a big gain, might have even been a touchdown, I don't recall. Needless to say everyone around me looked back wondering how I knew that. Nothing I could do about it at that point. Here's to you Ryan Mallet.
Wow! Sad news! Remember that name well! He came in after they had some really good years with Darren McFadden tearing it up. We played them in the SEC championship game and it was close for 3 quarters.
Wonder if was rip current. Having lived in Pensacola most of my life it is very bad in that area claiming many lives over the years...
35 years old......way too young..... Ranked #2 QB and #4 overall pick in 2007, recruited by Michigan and played for one year. But when Rich Rodriguez came in with read option offense, Mallet who was pro-style, transfers to Arkansas w/Bobby Petrino as head coach. Sat out 2008 per transfer rules at the time, then started for the Hogs in 2009. Mallett still owns sixteen school records, including most passing yards in a season (3,627), most consecutive passes without an interception, most passing yards in a game (408), most passing touchdowns in a game (5, three times), only quarterback to pass for over 400 yards in a game (two times), most pass plays of 25 or more yards in a season, and most passing touchdowns in a single season (30). RIP Ryan....and condolences to family, Arkansas nation, and loved ones. Ryan Mallett - Wikipedia
Wow, how terribly sad. He was the HC at a HS in Arkansas. R.I.P. Former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett dead at 35
Destin - I'm gonna guess it was indeed a rip current. There have been 11 deaths just in the last couple weeks in the Pensacola area.
Yep you got to obey the flags and double red flags is no joke. Every time my 20 year old son heads down there I tell him to look at what flags are up and obey them. Rip currents are unbiased; they will take anyone no matter how great of a swimmer they are.
Rip currents are like honey badgers: Don't care, will kill you if you don't know what you're doing, and sometimes kill you when you do know what you're doing.
Anybody ever been caught in a rip current? Do they drag you under? I always read that you just relax, don't fight it and swim parallel to shore to get out of it before swimming back to shore. If it's that simple, why are so many swimmers dying?
My wife was born and raised in Pensacola-she worked for WEAR as a news anchor and reporter in the 80's.
They drag you out not down. And yes if you do everything right - don’t panic, float/swim parallel and don’t fight you can get out. But yes I’ve been in 2 and the urge to panic and fight towards shore is overwhelming even when you know what to do and you have to force your brain out of it to survive. Add to a lot of these drownings where people are going after family members & friends swept out and the tragedies mount.
