Here's how Arkansas football will honor the lives of Alex Collins and Ryan Mallet in 2023
It's been a trying year for the Arkansas football family, and the Razorbacks will honor the lives of Ryan Mallett and Alex Collins at home games throughout the 2023 season.
Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek announced in a social media post Tuesday that Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium will have the initials of Mallett and Collins painted on the home sideline of Frank Broyles field for each home game, beginning this Saturday against Kent State.
Beginning Saturday & throughout the 2023 season, we are paying tribute to former @RazorbackFB greats (#3) Alex Collins & (#15) Ryan Mallett with their initials painted at the 3- and 15-yard lines on the home sideline of Frank Broyles Field. #OneRazorback pic.twitter.com/y4eWRti1Hx
— Hunter Yurachek (@HunterYurachek) September 5, 2023
Mallett's initials will be at the 15-yard line, while Collins will be at the 3, representing each of the former Razorbacks jersey numbers during their respective stints in Fayetteville.
In another social media post Tuesday, Yurachek announced the Razorbacks would also welcome the family of Chis Smith as honorary captains when Arkansas hosts Auburn on Nov. 11. Smith, who racked up 122 tackles and 21.5 sacks during his career at Arkansas, died on April 17. His cause of death is still unknown. Smith was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars and played in the NFL for eight seasons.
Mallett died in a drowning accident on June 27 in Florida. He was 35-years old.
Mallett holds the Arkansas’ school records for single-season passing yards (3,869) and touchdowns (32). Mallett was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft and was traded to the Houston Texans in 2014. He was named the head coach of the White Hall High School football team in Feb. 2022.
Collins died in a motorcycle accident on Aug. 13. He was 28-years old.
Collins attended South Plantation High School in Florida before arriving in Fayetteville, where he ranks second on the career rushing yards (3,703) list, behind Darren McFadden. Collins was the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2013, and he is one of four SEC players to register 1,000 rushing yards in three-straight seasons.
Arkansas will face Kent State at 3 p.m. Saturday.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Here's how Arkansas football will honor the lives of Alex Collins and Ryan Mallet in 2023
