Franklin Regional receiver Evans commits to Robert Morris
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Saturday, February 9, 2019 | 7:31 PM
Mike Evans had his suspicions about the college football recruiting process, mainly because he hadn’t been through it before.
How did it work? Where did he begin?
The senior from Franklin Regional knew he had the talent to play at the next level but wasn’t sure how quickly or readily offers and interest would materialize.
Signing day came and went Wednesday, but Evans never uncapped his pen. Instead, he was on the phone with coaches and making visits as he entertained preferred walk-on and scholarship offers from several Division I, II and III programs.
But then came Friday — and with it a breakthrough.
Robert Morris offered Evans a scholarship and he was, well, over the Moon.
“I committed on the spot,” he said.
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Evans will play wide receiver for the Division I-FCS Colonials.
“I am extremely relieved right now, and I know that I made the right choice for my future,” Evans said. “This is a dream come true for me with everything I’ve gone through the past couple of years.”
Evans also considered St. Francis (Pa.), Villanova, Seton Hill, Millersville, Juniata, Westminster and Moravian. He battled through numerous injuries to find an opening to college football.
He has broken his collar bone three times, dislocated his ribs and tweaked his Achilles. At age 12, Evans’ heart stopped while he was playing baseball and took a foul tip to his chest.
“I would have never thought I’d be sitting in this position after injuries and other setbacks,” he said. “It was all part of God’s plan. I could not be happier with where I am.”
Evans led Franklin Regional last season with 32 receptions for 801 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 25 yards per catch. He had a 93-yard scoring grab against Latrobe.
He also led the Panthers with 1,068 all-purpose yards, 168 coming on kickoffs.
Bill Beckner is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Bill at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.
Tags: Franklin Regional
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