Ryan Mallett, the University of Arkansas football great who elevated his young coaching career to the helm of White Hall High School’s program, will be inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame along with two other former Razorbacks in April.
Mallett made statewide headlines when he took over White Hall’s program for the 2022 season, just months after the Bulldogs reached the 5A state championship game. Mallett, 35, drowned while on vacation in Destin, Fla., in June.
Mallett prepped at Texas High School in Texarkana and was ranked the No. 4 overall player (No. 2 quarterback) nationally by Rivals.com in 2006. He began his career at the University of Michigan, throwing for 892 yards, 7 touchdowns and 5 interceptions in 2007.
He transferred to Arkansas and in 2009, as a redshirt sophomore, earned second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors and guided the Razorbacks to a win in the Liberty Bowl against East Carolina University. He was named the game’s offensive most valuable player.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
In 2010, Mallett led Arkansas to the Sugar Bowl against Ohio State University. He finished his collegiate career with 8,385 passing yards, 69 touchdowns and 24 interceptions.
The New England Patriots drafted Mallett in 2011. He also played for the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens and began his coaching career as an offensive coordinator at Mountain Home High School in 2020.
Mallett will be inducted along with Peyton Hillis, a running back from Conway who was drafted into the NFL out of Arkansas in 2008, and Jason Peters, a Texas native who played tight end at Arkansas and made it into the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2004. Peters is a 7-time Pro Bowler who now plays with the Seattle Seahawks.
The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled for April 19 at a location to be announced. Other inductees, according to the UA, include former Cabot High basketball coach Carla Crowder, former PGA golfer Glen Day, paralympian Jeff Gasbrenner, former Little Rock Parkview High basketball coach Al Flanigan, Harding University basketball great Butch Gardner, golfer Ed Harris, and Oaklawn senior vice president Eric Jackson.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story listed an incorrect bowl game Mallett played in during the 2010 season. Arkansas played in the Sugar Bowl that season.