Teammates, students mourn loss of Ryan Mallett at Florida beach. Here's what we know

The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office confirmed former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett died Tuesday after he reportedly drowned at a beach in Destin.

First responders were called to the Destin beach Tuesday afternoon to a report of an apparent drowning in the Gulf of Mexico.

An adult male later identified as Mallett went under the water and wasn't breathing when he was rescued.

Dangerous beach: Panama City Beach leads the nation in 2023 beach deaths as 3 more tourists die Saturday

A former Arkansas quarterback, Mallett also played for New England, Houston and Baltimore during five seasons in the NFL. Currently, he was head football coach at White Hall High School in his native Arkansas. He was 35.

Here's what we know so far.

Where did Ryan Mallett reportedly drown?

First responders were called to the beach behind the 700 block of Gulf Shore Drive in Destin around 2:12 p.m. June 27. Destin is located on the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

What happened to Mallett at the Destin beach?

A group of people in the water near a sandbar had reportedly been struggling to make their way back to shore, according to the Sheriff's Office.

One of the people, an adult male, went under and lifeguards said he was not breathing when he was pulled out of the water.

Lifesaving measures were immediately undertaken but the man was pronounced deceased at the Destin Emergency Room.

Okaloosa Sheriff's Office investigating

It's unknown at this time exactly what happened, although dangerous rip currents have been prevalent across the Florida Panhandle in recent weeks, with seven tourists killed over a 10-day stretch from June 15-24 in and around Panama City Beach, just 47 miles from Destin.

The National Weather Service said there have been extremely rough water conditions caused by strong onshore winds out of the southwest, which have led to higher surfs.

School spotlight said Mallett enjoyed teaching along with hunting, fishing

White Hall High School introduced Mallett in a new teacher spotlight on March 28.

This was his third year teaching. He was currently teaching PE and health, along with his duties as head football coach for the Bulldogs.

He said his favorite part of the job was teachings kids through the sport of football.

The profile said Mallett enjoyed hunting, fishing and playing golf.

White Hall High School mourns loss of Coach Mallett

The School District posted the death of Mallet on its website:

"It is with great sadness that we share the loss of Coach Ryan Mallett. 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."

Ryan Mallett's football career

Mallett played five seasons in the NFL for the New England Patriots, Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens. He became a household college football name after two stellar seasons at Arkansas.

He passed for 7,493 yards and 62 touchdowns in two seasons with the Razorbacks.

Mallett led college football's highly competitive Southeastern Conference in passing yards and touchdowns in both 2009 and 2010, posting consecutive seasons with at least 3,600 yards and 30 touchdowns. Mallett earned All-SEC second-team honors both times, falling behind Tim Tebow in 2009 and Cam Newton in 2010, two Heisman-award winning quarterbacks. He finished seventh in Heisman voting in 2010.

The New England Patriots selected Mallett in the third round of the 2011 NFL draft. He served as a backup to NFL legend Tom Brady. He appeared in four games with the Patriots during the 2012 season, completing 1 of 4 passes for 17 yards.

Mallett made six starts in nine games with the Texans and two starts in eight appearances with the Ravens.

He completed 190 of his 345 attempts in the NFL for 1,835 yards and nine touchdowns with 10 interceptions.

Mallett joined the White Hall (Arkansas) High School coaching staff in 2022 as head football coach.

Mallett dead at 35: Former NFL and Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett pronounced dead at 35

Ryan Mallett's career: Former Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett dies at 35 in an apparent drowning

Former teammates, NFL respond to news of Ryan Mallett's death

The NFL released a statement, saying, "The NFL family is deeply saddened by the passing of Ryan Mallett. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones."

"The New England Patriots are deeply saddened to learn of the sudden and unexpected passing of former quarterback Ryan Mallett," the Patriots said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with the Mallett family, his former teammates and all who are mourning his loss."

New England coach Bill Belichick said he was “extremely saddened by Ryan's tragic 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.

"Horrible news to read about Ryan Mallett. Gone way too soon. Rest in Peace brother," former Texans defensive end J.J. Watt wrote on Twitter.

How far is Destin from Panama City Beach?

Destin is located just under 50 miles west of Panama City Beach, which has the highest number of beach fatalities for any single locale in the U.S. for 2023, according to a database kept by the National Weather Service.

Three more tourists died after swimming in the Gulf of Mexico over the weekend under dangerous surf conditions.

As of June 28, the toll is now seven along the coast of Bay County within nine days.

Where is Destin, Florida?

Destin is in Northwest Florida, east of Pensacola and west of Panama City in the state's Panhandle.

What's a rip current?

Rip currents are fast-moving currents created by deep channels in surrounding sandbars. These channels often run perpendicular to the shoreline and cause water to funnel faster out into deeper waters of the Gulf.

Contributors: Brandon Girod; AP; Anthony Gharib

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Ryan Mallett, former football player, dies in Florida.What we know