Star WR won’t let past cloud his future
Evans to give back to Galveston after shining at A&M, NFL
Growing up in Galveston, Mike Evans endured a lot of dark, stormy times.
When Evans, a former football star at Texas A&M, was 9, his father Mickey was murdered by a family member.
Sam Kilgore, Evans’ uncle, stabbed and shot Mickey Evans after becoming enraged by the domestic violence his sister, Heather Kilgore, had been subjected to by Evans’ dad.
Evans visited his uncle in prison, eventually forgiving the man who killed his childhood hero.
Evans later learned of the shocking revelation that set off his uncle. Kilgore, who was originally sentenced to 38 years, is serving a life sentence for killing his cellmate a decade ago.
“It’s pretty horrific, but my mom and I stayed strong,” Evans said. “Things happen in life that you can’t explain and have to go through. I’m lucky to be blessed to have a lot of people that made it easier for me to grow up and transition to the young man I’ve become. I had mentors. I had a lot of great friends and people in my life. It helps. You’ve got to live on.”
Now and during his difficult childhood, the towering Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver always embraces the light.
Getting the ball rolling
“I just like seeing other people happy,” said Evans, who’s holding his first youth football camp July 2 at Ball High School in Galveston. “When I was younger, Casey Hampton always came back and did his football camp in Galveston, and that resonated with me. I want to do this annually as long as I’m in the league and even when I’m out of the league.
“I want them to get to have the experience of being around an NFL player that I enjoyed with Casey Hampton (a Pro Bowl nose tackle with the Pittsburgh Steelers). I want to show them that anything is possible being from Galveston.
“Most kids dream of playing sports, but I want to tell them to stay levelheaded, stay in school and be coachable. I’ve been through a lot and I’ve never let adversity stop me from living out my dreams.”
Growing up in Galveston, Evans, 22, lived through Hurricane Ike when he was 15 and avoided trouble in the area’s housing projects.
“It’s tough,” Evans said. “You’ve got to worry every year about hurricanes. … People don’t think about that. They think it’s just a beach. It’s more of a tourist town now, but when I was growing up there, it was a lot of projects.
“I grew up in the projects and we eventually moved to a decent house, but you’re always around stuff. … A lot of my friends live in the projects. It’s not that bad of a place, but I wouldn’t want my kid living there. It helps mold you.”
Striving to be the best
Today, Evans has emerged as one of the top wide receivers in the game.
Drafted seventh overall out of A&M, the 6-5, 231-pound former consensus All-American has 142 receptions for 2,257 receiving yards in his first two NFL seasons to rank 12th in receiving yardage during that span. He has 15 touchdowns.
As a rookie, Evans set a franchise record with 12 TD catches as he finished with 68 catches for 1,051 yards. Last season, Evans was even more productive with 74 catches for 1,206 yards and three scores.
“I’m never going to settle for second best,” said Evans, who’s entering the third year of a four-year rookie contract worth $14.6 million. “I think I can be the best receiver in the league. That’s my goal, year in and year out. I want to play in this league for a real long time. I want to dominate and help my team win. I just have to stay injury-free. I’m healthy. I feel really good.”
Sports have always been a natural fit for Evans. He averaged 18.3 points and 8.4 rebounds in basketball at Ball, where he was an all-district selection as a senior in his lone season playing football, catching 25 passes for 648 yards and seven touchdowns. He doubled as a track standout as a sprinter, triple jumper and long jumper.
As a redshirt freshman at A&M, Evans caught 82 passes for 1,105 yards and five touchdowns
He declared early for the draft after a final season in College Station in which he caught 69 passes for 1,394 yards and 12 touchdowns as the primary wide receiver for star-crossed quarterback Johnny Manziel.
“I’ve come a long way,” said Evans, who’s looking forward to a second season catching passes from the Buccaneers’ top overall pick Jameis Winston. “We’re going to have better chemistry. We’re hanging out more, doing everything necessary to make sure it’s a great year for both of us. Jameis is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever been around. We’re going to do a lot of great things together.”
Hometown hoopla
Evans’ football camp is being held through a partnership with the Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce (registration available at galvestonchamber.com) and is intended for children ages 8 to 14. The camp will include football drills and stress the importance of teamwork and education. Former A&M wide receivers Ryan Swope and Travis Labhart are scheduled to attend.
“I’ve always wanted to have a camp in Galveston,” said Evans, who will give T-shirts and meals to all the campers along with prizes for the winners of drills and races. “I’m really happy to do a free camp in my hometown.
“I’m going to be really hands-on, and it’ll be a lot of fun.”
Evans married Ashli Dotson in Houston in February. Evans’ wife is pregnant and the couple are in the process of moving into a new home in Tampa, Fla.
Evans’ mother plans to attend his football camp.
“She sets a great example,” Evans said. “She gives me a lot of guidance.”