Going into Thursday’s game against Southeastern Louisiana, a lot of pressure had been placed upon ULM’s starting quarterback, Caleb Evans’ shoulders. After a rough quarter and a half that included an interception, Evans took control and gave the Warhawks a two point lead with a short touchdown pass to Marcus Green. That was all it took.
Evans started the second half with a 79 yard touchdown pass to Green and continued to control the rest of the game. And with 37 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Evans ran 11 yards for the game winning touchdown. He ended the game with 346 passing yards, 62 rushing yards and three total touchdowns. However, his incredible game management skills are only a small part of the fabric that makes up the story of a young and humble man.
Starting with his father and followed by his brothers Jerod and Lance, Evans is continuing the family football tradition. Hailing from Dallas, TX, the junior kinesiology major has found his way to the starting quarterback position for the ULM Warhawks.
While in high school, Evans was recruited by Coach Matt Kubik, who was offensive coordinator at Stephen F. Austin at the time. Evans originally committed to Stephen F. Austin, but when Kubik was offered the same position at ULM, Evans stayed loyal to the coach and made his way to Monroe.
After splitting time in 2016, Evans was handed the reigns to the offense in 2017. Exploding onto the scene, Evans threw for 2,878 yards, rushed for 573 yards and had a combined 30 touchdowns. Because of his extraordinary statistics, Evans was named to the Maxwell Award watchlist this summer. The award is given to the college football player of the year. And Evans will tell you he was a little surprised. “Yeah, it kinda caught me off guard. I didn’t really know my numbers were extraordinary. But, it’s just a humbling experience honestly,” Evans said.
A humble and composed young man, Evans isn’t really feeling the pressure. “People think I did really well last year. I feel like it was good, but not up to my standards of what I feel like I can do.” And Evans is always looking to improve his game. “I have my goals written out in my locker. Every day before practice, I look at it and remind myself this is how I need to get it.” Ultimately, Evans knows the team is looking for a win in a bowl game.
Even during the tough times, Evans is looking to improve. “It’s going to be a better day tomorrow. You can always improve.” And he’s always looking at the big picture, hoping to make it to the NFL one day. “But, if that doesn’t work out, I can always fall back on my degree.”
After all that he’s accomplished, Evans still knows where he came from. “I learned the mental toughness from my dad. Quarterback wise, I learned it all from my brother, Jerod. He taught me everything I really know.” Even with everything surrounding the young man from Dallas, Evans knows where his head is at. “My main love is football of course.”