Ethan Evans

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Ethan Evans
No. 42 – Los Angeles Rams
Position: Punter
Personal information
Born: (2001-07-19) July 19, 2001 (age 23)
Mount Airy, North Carolina, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:231 lb (105 kg)
Career information
High school:North Surry
(Mount Airy, North Carolina)
College: Wingate (2019–2022)
NFL draft: 2023  / round: 7 / pick: 223
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 1, 2024
Punts:66
Punting yards:3,242
Average Punt:49.1
Net punting average:38.6
Inside 20:20
Longest punt:72
Player stats at PFR

Ethan Gray Evans (born July 19, 2001) is an American professional football punter for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Wingate and was selected in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL draft by the Rams.

Contents

Early years

Evans was born on July 19, 2001, in Mount Airy, North Carolina, and grew up there. [1] He attended North Surry High School and played football and track, additionally being a member of the National Honor Society. [2] [3] He set several school kicking records, including for longest made field goal (51 yards), most career field goals (17) and most career extra points (77). [4] He twice was named the Western Piedmont 2A Conference Specialist of the Year and was invited to the state's East–West All-Star Game after graduating, becoming the first North Surry player to participate in the event in 23 years and only the eighth overall. [4] Evans committed to play college football for the Division II Wingate Bulldogs. [4]

College career

Evans ended up becoming one of the all-time best special teams players at Wingate, in his stint spanning from the 2019 season to 2022. [4] He was their starting punter and handled kickoff duties in all four seasons, additionally handling field goals and extra points as a senior. [5]

Evans had his best season as a senior, posting 67 kickoffs for 4,180 yards with a 62.4 average and 44 touchbacks, and 77 punts for 3,518 yards, averaging 45.69 yards per punt, a total that ranked second-best in the NCAA Division II. [4] He additionally had 39 punts inside the 20 and 30 that went more than 50 yards, and went 10-for-18 on field goals with a long of 41, as well as 43-of-44 on extra points. [4] Evans twice was named the national player of the week by D2Football.com and was named first-team all-conference, all-region, and a D2CCA first-team All-American. [4] He also was named first-team All-American by Associated Press (AP), being one of three Wingate players to earn the honor that year. [4]

Evans finished his career at Wingate having appeared in 39 games and made 186 punts for 8,027 yards (averaging 43.2 yards per punt) with a long of 72 yards. [4] He had 47 fair catches, 53 punts of more than 50 yards and 89 inside the 20-yard line. Additionally, on kickoffs, he posted 213 kicks for 13,230 yards (an average of 62.1) with 120 touchbacks. [4] Evans was invited to the Hula Bowl and was also one of only four Division II players to be chosen for the East–West Shrine Bowl in 2023. [4]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span
6 ft 3+1⁄2 in
(1.92 m)		231 lb
(105 kg)		34+7⁄8 in
(0.89 m)		10+1⁄4 in
(0.26 m)
Sources: [6] [7]

Evans was selected in the seventh round (223rd overall) of the 2023 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams, being the highest-selected Division II player in that draft and only the second Wingate Bulldog to ever be drafted. [5] [8] He was also chosen in the tenth round (73rd overall) of the 2023 USFL draft by the Pittsburgh Maulers. [9]

In Week 11 of the 2023 season, Evans was named National Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week, the first Ram to be awarded a player of the week recognition in the season. [10] In the 2023 season, Evans had 63 punts for 3,101 yards for a 49.22 average. [11]

Related Research Articles

In American football, a touchback is a ruling that is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead on or behind a team's own goal line and the opposing team gave the ball the momentum, or impetus, to travel over or across the goal line but did not have possession of the ball when it became dead. Since the 2018 season, touchbacks have also been awarded in college football on kickoffs that end in a fair catch by the receiving team between its own 25-yard line and goal line. In the 2023 season, the NFL adopted the same rules as college football in regards to awarding touchbacks on kickoffs that end in a fair catch. In 2024, the NFL moved the placement of the ball after a touchback on a kickoff to the receiving team's 30-yard line; this was part of a radical change to the league's kickoff procedure. Such impetus may be imparted by a kick, pass, fumble, or in certain instances by batting the ball. A touchback is not a play, but a result of events that may occur during a play. A touchback is the opposite of a safety with regard to impetus since a safety is scored when the ball becomes dead in a team's end zone after that team — the team whose end zone it is — caused the ball to cross the goal line.

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References

  1. ↑ "Ethan Evans". Wingate Bulldogs . Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  2. ↑ Bryant, Joel (April 29, 2023). "Former North Surry punter Ethan Evans drafted by the Los Angeles Rams". HighSchoolOT.com. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  3. ↑ "NFL Draft Profile: Ethan Evans, Punter, Wingate Bulldogs". Sports Illustrated . November 28, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Smith, Cory (January 4, 2023). "North Surry grad Evans named All-American, will compete in Hula Bowl". The Mount Airy News . Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Alfano, Jonathan (April 29, 2023). "Rams Select Wingate punter Ethan Evans With No. 223 Pick". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Ethan Evans Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  7. ↑ "2023 NFL Draft Scout Ethan Evans College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  8. ↑ Tucker, Luke (April 29, 2023). "Wingate University punter Ethan Evans drafted by Rams". WBTV . Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Wingate's Ethan Evans selected in 10th round of USFL Draft by Pittsburgh Maulers". Wingate Bulldogs . February 22, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  10. ↑ Jackson, Stu (November 22, 2023). "Ethan Evans named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 11". TheRams.com. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Ethan Evans 2023 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
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