Arkansas Sports 360 - ArkansasSports360.com

3/17/2010 at 9:58pm

Half-walking and half-rolling, Ryan Mallett made his way to the front of the Raymond Miller room for a Wednesday afternoon press conference. He was there to address reporters for the first time since breaking his left foot Feb. 17, and the Arkansas quarterback needed use of a medical scooter to reach his destination.

Video of Mallett ‘Riding Dirty' has become something of a YouTube sensation. The 24-second clip engineered by someone calling himself "LSU Freak" has been viewed more than 20,000 times (I'll claim 10 of those views) and features a KFSM shot of Mallett on his scooter set to a rap song.

The video has generated some laughs - even from its subject - but watching first-hand as Mallett used the scooter to move from one side of a room to another really underscored the point that he's is out until the summer. Arkansas begins spring practice on March 30. Most of the key pieces from last year's 8-5 team that won the Liberty Bowl are back except for the guy that threw for 3,627 yards and 30 touchdowns and set 16 school records.

Mallett, who is being mentioned in early Heisman Trophy talk, will be watching from the sidelines and putting in extra work digesting an expanding playbook. If things go well over the next two weeks, he'll be off the scooter and in a walking boot. Another month after that and Mallett might be able to walk on his own.

"I'm ready to get back out there with the guys and go full speed, but what I've really got to do is not rush it," Mallett said. "I've got to take my time and continue getting treatment every day and get ready for the season."

Meanwhile, Mallett is rehabbing the left side of his body, the "tore up one" as Mallett calls it. He had shoulder surgery to tighten things up, then after getting cleared for action, broke a foot that had given him trouble dating back to two-a-days in August 2009.

Mallett is still throwing. He's working out his right side and has actually lost weight despite being limited in the exercise and conditioning work he can do. Mallett is hoping to get his weight from 228 back to 235 where he played last year.

Despite the injury and the fact that Mallett will be off the field, he said he views his role with the team the same. He said he would do more than just "be a cheerleader" which he was relegated to during his first fall here when he redshirted after transferring from Michigan.

Mallett will take an active role in tutoring four other quarterbacks Sophomore Tyler Wilson should get the bulk of the first-team work, while redshirt freshman Brandon Mitchell, mid-term enrollee Jacoby Walker and Nick Petrino will divvy up the other snaps.

Coach Bobby Petrino likes the attitude and actions Mallett has shown thus far. Even without being on the field with his teammates, or going through full-scale workouts, Mallett has made his presence known.

"He's continued to work hard in the weight room, continued to do a nice job of leading without actually being out in front," Petrino said. " So, I've been impressed with Ryan."

Wilson is approaching the spring as if it's his job, his team. "I'm going to come in every day and take it like it's my team and take responsibility," he said. Still, Wilson acknowledged the work Mallett is putting in to get ready to for the fall. Wilson is more or less caretaking until Mallett returns this summer.

"I think he's taking it well," Wilson said. "He's working hard still. He's in and out of the training room. He's up here a lot longer than a lot of guys are and he's doing the things that are necessary for him to be back on the field."

Judging from conversations with Mallett, his coach and teammates, he seems to be handling the situation well. Mallett stressed the few positives that could come from a broken foot - the off-season timing, more hours to devote in the film room, more snaps for his back-ups - and acted more irritated by the laughs generated at his expense than the actual injury.

"It hurts I'm missing practice because that is valuable reps," Mallett said. "But you can get young guys in there full speed, live in scrimmages and practices."

It's not the perfect situation. Mallett is riding it out the best he can, though.