Arkansas Sports 360 - ArkansasSports360.com

4/29/2011 at 8:44pm

HUMNOKE — Ryan Mallett's wait is over.

Mallett was selected Friday by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He was the seventh quarterback taken in the draft and went 74th overall though he entered the draft projected by some as a first-round pick.

"I wish I could go right now. I'm ready to get back on the football field," Mallett said. "After going through this process, I'm even more excited than you could imagine. ... I'm going to go up there and learn as much as I can and try to be as successful as Tom [Brady]."

Mallett's final in-person visit with a team was with the Patriots. He received a call just after 8 p.m. and spoke with three representatives from the organization, including Coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft.

Belichick told Ian Rapoport of the Boston Herald: “He's a football guy. As long as you want to talk about football, he'll talk."

Cheers erupted from family and friends who gathered at a hunting lodge in Humnoke as Mallett's name was called on the TV.

Mallett threw for 7,493 yards and 62 touchdowns in two seasons at Arkansas.

“I am very proud of Ryan Mallett.Coach Bobby Petrino said. "It has been great to see him mature on and off the field during his time in Fayetteville as he worked towards his goal of playing in the NFL.  Each Saturday I saw him make throws no one else in America was making, and I know he has the physical tools to be successful in the NFL. Ryan played an instrumental part in the transition when I arrived, and I can’t say enough about what he has done for this program.”

ArkansasSports360.com will update this story.

Tagged: Arkansas Razorbacks, Ryan Mallett, New England Patriots, 2011 NFL Draft