Friday Features: Evans brings his talents South — and UNA is glad he did
By Mike Perrin
During Stephen Evans’ search for a college home, he went to a somewhat unusual source with an odd question, something like: Grandma, you know anybody who lives in Alabama?
“It’s a very unusual story, but I really came down here for a change of scenery,” said Evans, a senior anchor on the University of North Alabama offensive line. “I’ve lived in the city all of my life and wanted to see what going to school in the South would be like.”
Luckily for Lions’ fans, grandmother Pekoula Cox’ brother James lives in Livingston, which put colleges in Alabama in play. Evans researched UNA and found it to be to his liking.
In July of 2012, he made his first trip to the state for the school’s S.O.A.R. (Student Orientation and Registration) event. While there, Evans met incoming freshman defensive lineman Deandre Harrison of Lithonia, Ga. The young man from Boston mentioned to his new acquaintance that he might be interested in playing football in Florence, too.
As the two made their way through the room, Evans’ uncle, Derrick Cox, had struck up a conversation with UNA compliance coordinator Todd Vardaman and had brought up the idea of his nephew walking on to Coach Bobby Wallace’s squad.
Vardaman was quite helpful – and more than a little surprised when the newcomer turned out to be a 6-foot-4, 300-pound lineman and not a 5-6 wide receiver with hands of stone. Harrison and Vardaman made sure Evans met then-offensive coordinator Cody Gross and his future offensive line coach, Scott Harper, and then later, the head man.
“It was great to meet them because I felt like I was wanted here after I talked to them only a few minutes,” Evans said. “I had a great feeling and knew they were the right coaches and people to be around.
“Honestly, I had never heard about UNA. Not until after I received my acceptance letter from the university did I really notice how great UNA football has been in the past, especially with Coach Wallace coming back.”
Evans found his place as a teammate quickly, he said. “It took no time, really, to fit in down here – besides the accents – it was like making friends back home. (Quarterback) Jacob Tucker was the first person who actually took me back to his house in Tennessee and let me meet his family, so I felt like I was in good hands.”
Evans was a standout at Archbishop Williams High in Boston, but his team didn’t attract a lot of college scouts. “In high school I wasn’t on a very good team, but that never discouraged me from doing the very best I could do,” said Evans, who was All-Scholastic and a Catholic Conference League All-Star as well as a letter-winner in basketball and track.
After a redshirt season in 2012, he played in every game in 2013 and has started every game since the beginning of the 2014 season. A versatile performer on the line, he played mostly at guard until being shifted to left tackle this season.
“At first, I was kind of disappointed (to be redshirted), but I realized it was for the best, mainly when Coach Gross came and talked to me,” Evans said. “I really understood what he wanted for me in the upcoming years and accepted that role happily. Not until the next summer of 2013 did I receive a scholarship and I was more than excited about that. To tell my parents that I earned one, there was no better feeling.”
This year’s No. 11 Lions are sitting atop the Gulf South Conference standings after beating then-No. 3 West Georgia 24-23 in a come-from-behind nail-biter last week. UNA is 3-0 in the GSC and 3-1 overall, with a loss to Football Championship Subdivision power Jacksonville State. Two of the Lions’ wins came over ranked teams.
“It was a crazy game to say the least,” Evans said of last week’s victory at home when West Georgia missed a field goal on the final play. “I don’t think you could write a better end to a game like that. That game meant the most to me because they were ranked third in the country and it’s always a huge rivalry game. My friends since high school came down to see me play for the first time, too, so that game was very special to me.
“Overall, I think our performance was outstanding because even at halftime (down 16-3) we didn't give up. The defense was doing their job and offensively we made a decision that we wouldn’t lay down. We executed our jobs as best as we could and came out with the win.”
Evans’ execution last season earned him preseason All-Gulf South Conference honors this year after being a first-teamer last season – along with first-team Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-Super Region 2, first-team Don Hansen All-Super Region 2 and second-team Don Hansen All-American accolades. “The GSC was a huge step up,” he said. “The competition was on another level from what I was playing in high school and it took me some time to get adjusted, but once I did I knew what it was like to play at this level every Saturday.
“Coach Harper wants more than your best every day and he will get it out of you if you’re willing to listen and to be dedicated to following his instructions. In the offseason, I would try to push my body to the max to see if I could get any faster or stronger, so when it comes time to do what I have to do on the field I’m in my best shape. I’ve learned so much because of what Coach Harper has been teaching me for the past five years now.”
Evans also gave a shout out to some of his graduated teammates for helping build the foundation for this year’s front. “I felt like the O-line over the past few years here at UNA has been great with players like Will Furlong, David Lundberg, Kenston Redfern, Rod Winston, Keith Jones, Jalen Beavers – the list goes on and on – but those guys were the reason we all clicked as a unit and always knew what to do. Keeping (graduated) Luke (Wingo) and Tucker upright was all we cared about and tried to do our best with that every game.”
The 22-year-old’s plans for the future are to become a coach. “I really have a passion for the game and want to help young kids and young men learn the importance of the game and how much it relates to life,” Evans said. “I want to give them a place to feel like they can ask questions and get away from home or a negative environment because I feel like that’s what I really needed.”
Follow Perrin on Twitter, @mikeperrin27. Email comments to: mikeperrin27@gmail.com.
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