Since he was drafted in 2014, Mike Evans has played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a wide receiver. He has since then established himself as one of the most prolific wide receivers in the league as he holds many NFL and franchise records. Some of his records with the Bucs include the most seasons of 1,000 yards receiving, most receiving yards in a season, most receiving yards in a career, most receptions in a career, and most receiving touchdowns in a career among many others.
In a nutshell, Evans’ career is what most NFL aspirants who want to thrive as a wide receiver in the league hope to achieve. But as much as his career is an interesting story to tell, so is the tale that revolves around his family and personal life.
Mike Evans’ Journey To The Big Leagues
Mike Evans was born Michael Lynn Evans III on the 21st of August 1993 in Dallas, Texas. He had his high school education at Ball High School in Galveston where he was a multi-sport athlete, lettering in football, basketball, and track (triple jumper, long jumper, and sprinter).
Interestingly, Evans focused more on basketball and track. He only started playing football in his very last year in high school but did well in that single season (25 receptions for 648 yards and seven touchdowns) to earn a scholarship to Texas A&M University.
Evans spent three years at Texas A&M (2011 to 2013) where he proved that he was no fluke. After redshirting his first year, he recorded 82 receptions for 1,105 yards and five touchdowns in his second year and received All-SEC honors. He did even better in his third year, breaking the school record with 69 receptions for 1,394 yards and twelve touchdowns.
In recognition of his exploits, the Associated Press named him a first-team All-American and he was also named a first-team All-SEC. Unsurprisingly, the Dallas native decided to strike while the iron was hot and forwent his last two years of college football for the 2014 NFL Draft.
His Stand Out NFL Career
Mike Evans was selected in the very first round of the NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 7th overall pick. The Buccaneers signed him to a mouthwatering (by rookie standards) four-year contract worth $14,600,000.
In the years that followed, Evans proved to be worth every cent that was spent on him. He finished his rookie season with 68 receptions for 1,051 yards and 12 touchdowns to be named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. His 1,051 receiving yards marked the ninth-most receiving yards by a rookie since the 1970 NFL/AFL merger.
The wide receiver went on to top 1,000 receiving yards in his first four seasons with the Buccaneers, becoming one of only three players in NFL history to post 1,000 or more receiving yards in each of their first four seasons. It was, therefore, no surprise that at the end of his rookie contract, the Buccaneers rewarded him with a handsome five-year contract worth $82,500,000.
Mike Evans received Second-team All-Pro selections in 2016 and has so far made 3 Pro Bowl appearances as he participated in the NFL all-star game in 2016, 2018, and 2019. All of these sums up why Mike is vastly regarded as one of a kind wide receiver.
Evans’ Body Has Proven to Be a Huge Advantage For Him
It is believed that Mike Evan’s body stats has helped him thrive as a wide receiver. While it would be mischievous to discredit this, it would be outrageous to not acknowledge that he is talented and a very skilled player.
Mike Evans is 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 231 lb (104.7 kg). He has quite a massive stature which makes him a footballer of ideal size. His size is an asset as it makes him a tough, physically dominant player who can easily outmuscle smaller defensive players. His arm length is 35 1⁄8 in (0.89 m) and his hand measures 9 5⁄8 in (0.24 m).
NFL and Buccaneers Franchise Records Held By Mike Evans
Apart from what has already been stated, Mike Evans holds other Buccaneers franchise records like the most receiving touchdown in a season, most receiving touchdowns by a rookie in a season and most consecutive games with a touchdown reception.
He is also one of the very few NFL players in history to begin their careers with five consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Some of his other outstanding NFL records include:
- Becoming the youngest player to reach 6,000 receiving yards in NFL history (25 years, 131 days old)
- The youngest player to reach 7,000 career receiving yards (26 years, 81 days)
- Ninth-most receiving yards by a rookie since the 1970 NFL/AFL merger (1,051 receiving yards)
- First rookie in the NFL with at least 200 yards and two touchdowns since Anquan Boldin (217 yards in 2003)
The Untold Truth About His Family
Mike Evans is certainly one young man who has overcome a lot of adversity, much of which stems from his family history, to get to where he is today. His mom, Heather Kilgore, gave birth to him when she was just 14. His dad, Mickey Evans, was later murdered by his mother’s brother Sam Kilgore when Evans was just 9. Sam Kilgore shot and stabbed the senior Evans because he was physically abusive towards his sister Heather.
Kilgore was sentenced to 38 years in prison for the murder and Evans eventually forgave his uncle after visiting him in prison many times. There is certainly no doubt that Evans’ childhood experience has influenced him. He has a Mike Evans Family Foundation which provides scholarships for less privileged youths as well as assistance for victims of domestic violence.
With regard to siblings, Mike Evans has a sister. He does not have a biological brother but he describes professional basketball player Terran Petteway who grew up with him in Galveston, Texas as his brother.
Mike Evans Married His College Sweetheart and is a Father to Three Children
Mike Evans is married to his long-time girlfriend, Ashli Evans (nee Dotson). The pair reportedly met while studying at Texas A&M and started dating in February 2014. They got engaged on the 19th of December 2014 and tied the knot on the 13th of February 2016 in a beautiful ceremony in Houston, Texas.
Evans’ little daughter from an earlier relationship, Mackenzie, was a flower girl at the ceremony. In addition to Mackenzie, Evans and Ashli also have another daughter named Ariah Lynn Evans, whom they welcomed in November 2016.
In 2019, the girls got a little brother named Amari Thomas Evans who was born on the 28th of December 2019.
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