Thrust into lineup, Evans fits right in for Alabama
Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans didn’t get much of a grace period while filling in for injured teammate Shaun Hamilton during the Southeastern Conference championship game.
Four plays into replacing Hamilton at inside linebacker, Evans got picked on by Florida. Dropping back to cover DeAndre Goolsby on a wheel route, Evans briefly hesitated, allowing the Florida tight end to get past him for an easy 25-yard touchdown reception.
“Oh, yeah, they tested me,” Evans said. “I guess one of the first plays I kind of messed up a little bit. Now, we’ve kind of gotten in the film room, and something like that, that’ll never happen again.”
The junior linebacker finished the game without other serious mishaps, finishing with three tackles, including half a tackle for loss.
The highlight of Evans’ day came during a third-and-goal stop, when he delivered a punishing hit on Gators running back Jordan Scarlett, knocking him back at the line. Florida threw an incomplete pass on the next play, and Alabama finished out the goal-line stand.
“I kind of was watching the guard, really. I saw the guard kind of block down, and I saw a big opening,” Evans said. “I saw him, and I was like, ‘You know, I’m going to go get him.’ That’s exactly what happened.”
With Hamilton out for the season with a torn right knee ligament, it will be Evans’ job to step in and fill the void at inside linebacker. A former five-star recruit, Evans is tied for eighth on the team with 35 tackles, including three for losses and 21⁄ sacks.
“We have a lot of confidence in him,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “Hopefully, he’ll be able to go out there during these weeks and really get confident in what he’s doing and go out there and do a great job for us.”
Evans, who transitioned from outside linebacker to an inside role this season, says he has a pretty good grasp of the playbook and feels comfortable moving forward. Fellow inside linebacker Reuben Foster said Evans had been watching extra tape and putting in a lot of effort to prepare for the starting role.
As Foster’s former teammate at Auburn (Ala.) High School, Evans said the two share a unique bond on the field. When asked about his chemistry with Evans, the two words that came to Foster’s mind were “crazy” and “funny.”
To Evans, that sounds about right.
“We could be in the middle of a play and be telling each other jokes. It’s crazy,” Evans said. “That’s kind of how we are. We’ve been playing with each other for a little bit. We played with each other in high school. It was kind of like that, too. Being able to do it again all on the big stage is amazing.”
Evans said the ability to keep things light on the field allows him to avoid getting too tense during the game’s big moments. But don’t get him wrong: When the ball is snapped, it’s no laughing matter.
“The toughness is already there,” Foster said of Evans. “I ought to know, I play with him.”
Foster also has been there for Evans during his time away from the field. Evans says as a competitor, it has been tough to watch from the bench when he could be on the field making plays. During some of the trying moments, he said, Foster was always there to push him in the right direction and remind him that his time would come.
“As a player, you just really have to think of the bigger picture,” Evans said. “This whole thing is a lot bigger than just you, and any other player that feels the same way I do. So that’s kind of the mentality that I have to have. Once I had that, as you can see, your chances will come, you’ve just got to wait your turn.”
Evans had his breakout game during last season’s national championship game against Clemson, tallying three tackles and two sacks in the Tide’s 4540 win. He will look to make a similar impact this season, as No. 1 Alabama heads into its College Football Playoff semifinal matchup against No. 4 Washington in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 31 in Atlanta.
“I’m embracing this moment a lot,” Evans said. “Whenever I get out on the field anytime — regardless if it’s the championship game or not — I try to do my best. Just with this game upcoming, I’m going to try to do the same thing I’ve been doing.”
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