Former pro football player steps on turf as receiving coach
Photo: Hannah Martinez
TOUCHDOWN. Chris Malott throws his hands up in a touchdown motion as the varsity football team scores at the homecoming football game on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. Malott coaches the receiver on the Panther varsity football team. Mallet started coaching in 2018 at Mance Park Middle School, he then moved to Moorhead Junior High before coaching at Caney Creek. “I was excited, I am always excited for games. Whenever we do something positive, to me it feels better seeing them do better than I ever did,” Malott said. “I suppose I am doing something good; it is so much better seeing the kids that you are coaching do it.”
Nov 7, 2022
After an injury riddled football career, varsity receiver coach Chris Malott uses his past experiences to make sure players stay safe on the field.
“The injuries made me more conscious about recognizing kids,” Malott said. “And being a little more understanding if I see something that might have happened.”
Malott started playing football in seventh grade and continued throughout high school and college. He originally planned to play for Sam Houston State University, but ended up attending Southeastern Louisiana University instead, which is a D-1 football championship subdivision college.
“My first year I took a preferred walk on,” Malott said. “Then after my first semester I was put on a full ride.”
In 2015, Malott got his first glimpse of professional football.
“They (Green Bay Packers) invited me to a rookie minicamp with them,” Malott said “I went for about a week and I re-injured my hamstring. About a month later I went to the Chicago Bears, got sent back from there, then the next year I went with the Cleveland Browns.”
Shortly after the injury, Malott took six months off before playing indoor football with the Green Bay Blizzard team. While attending a second invitation to a camp with the Packers, Malott dislocated his finger, which he later learned had ruptured a tendon and tore some ligaments. Following a surgery to fix his finger, he ended up playing in the next season.
“I came back the next year,” Malott said. “Played through 10 games, did fairly well, and dislocated my elbow. Tore my UCL and RCL.”
After many tough injuries, Malott chose to stop playing indoor football with the Blizzard.
“When I went into it I said, ‘If nothing happens in the first season, I’m done’,” Malott said. “I just wanted to end the last season. I was already accepting that it was over with.”
Malott believes the injuries he suffered in the past help him coach now, making him more cautious of his football players.
“It’s given me a different outlook on injuries,” Malott said. “I like to be really proactive and go to the trainers with them and check on them.”
