'Lost a great man': Tom Brady mourns former teammate Ryan Mallett's loss

Tom Brady reacted on Tuesday to the death of his former New England Patriots teammate Ryan Mallett, who drowned at age 35 in the Gulf of Mexico.

Mallett was one of several people near a sandbar who struggled to get back to shore and went under.

When lifeguards pulled him out of the water, he wasn't breathing, and he later died at the hospital.

"We lost a great man," Brady wrote. "Thank you for everything Ryan. … Praying for the Mallett family and all their loved ones tonight."

Mallett played with the Patriots from 2011 to 2014. He also played with the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens.

The NFL, the Patriots and White Hall High School in Arkansas, where Mallett was the head football coach after leaving the NFL, all gave statements about his death and the tragedy it represents.