The girlfriend of a former American football player Ryan Mallett is speaking out for the first time since his tragic drowning death last week.
Madison Carter was with Mallett, an NFL Quarterback in Destin, Florida when the incident occurred last Tuesday, June 27.
Carter, a medical student at Arkansas State, in a social media post thanked everyone that had reached out to her since the tragedy and then posted a lengthier Facebook message Sunday night, July 2.
“I trust that God has a plan for everything, but I don’t think I will never understand why this happened. I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you, and I hope you know how hard I tried,” Carter wrote.
“Everyone knows how talented, dedicated, and passionate you were about the game of football. Those of us who were lucky enough to know your heart know that it was even bigger than your larger-than-life personality and stature. Nothing was ever about you, it was always about others. Multiple times, I heard you say ‘there are so many good people in this world,’ and that statement alone shows what kind of person you were. Always looking for the good.”
Carter and Mallett had made their relationship Facebook official on June 1, only a few weeks before the tragedy took place. He was just 35
“Words cannot convey how badly I miss you,” part of Carter’s facebook post read.
“I hope you know how loved you are. By myself, your amazing family, your friends, your teammates, your students, and countless others. I don’t know how I’ll ever get past this. But I’m so honored to love you and be loved by you. You changed my life, and I’m forever grateful for the time we had. No amount of time would have ever been enough. I love you, Ryan. Please watch over us. I can’t wait to see you again.” she added
Mallett drowned off the coast of the Florida panhandle though riptides were not a factor in his death, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
“The tragic loss of life, it’s always difficult when we lose a tourist or resident here, but we have no indication here of any dangerous conditions out there,” Sheriff Eric Aden said in a statement.
“The entire Okaloosa County, as well as Destin, were not under red flags or double red flags, despite some of the misperceptions out there.”
Mallett played one season of college football at the University of Michigan before transferring to Arkansas, where he had back-to-back 30-touchdown seasons.
He spent five years in the NFL, spending time with the New England Patriots, Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens.
