Mark Evans II
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | October 11, 1999 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight: | 295 lb (134 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | C.E. King (Houston, Texas) |
| College: | Arkansas–Pine Bluff (2018–2022) |
| Position: | Offensive tackle |
| Undrafted: | 2023 |
| Career history | |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Mark Evans II (born October 11, 1999) is an American professional football offensive tackle who is a free agent. He played college football for Arkansas–Pine Bluff.
Early life
[edit]Evans was not allowed to play football growing up due to weight restrictions, so he did not begin playing until the seventh grade.[1] Instead, he began boxing until he was able to start playing football.[2]
Evans initially committed to play football at Navarro College, though later was recruited to play at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.[3]
College career
[edit]Evans committed to play college football at Arkansas–Pine Bluff.[1] As a freshman, he played in nine games, and during his sophomore season, he started in all eleven games at left tackle, contributing to an offensive line that allowed the second-lowest amount of sacks in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).[4] Although the 2020 season was postponed, Evans played with Arkansas–Pine Bluff at SWAC championship game against Alabama A&M in 2021. he played as a redshirt junior, where he allowed one sack and won the Willie Roaf Award, which honors Arkansas's top offensive linemen.[5][6]
During his senior year, he started in nine games as part of an offensive line unit dubbed 'The Moving Crew' and only allowed two sacks.[1][7]
Evans participated in the East-West Shrine Bowl, the HBCU Legacy Bowl, and the NFL Combine. He was the first Arkansas-Pine Bluff player to be invited to the combine since Terron Armstead in 2013.[3]
Professional career
[edit]| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2+1⁄2 in (1.89 m) |
303 lb (137 kg) |
32+3⁄8 in (0.82 m) |
10+3⁄8 in (0.26 m) |
5.44 s | 1.90 s | 3.06 s | 4.77 s | 7.71 s | 26.5 in (0.67 m) |
8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) |
21 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[8][9] | ||||||||||||
On April 30, 2023, Evans signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent.[10] Evans was waived by the Saints on August 29, 2023.[11] He signed to the Saints practice squad the next day.[12] On September 4, 2023, Evans was waived before being re-signed to the practice squad on September 27.[12] Following the end of the 2023 regular season, the Saints signed him to a reserve/future contract on January 8, 2024.[13]
On July 28, 2024, Evans was waived by the Saints.[14] However, following the release of Mason Fairchild on August 7, Evans was re–signed by New Orleans.[15] He was waived on August 27.[16]
Personal life
[edit]Evans has a younger brother Jessie, who plays linebacker at Prairie View A&M.[1]
After Hurricane Harvey destroyed his family's home in 2017, he was temporarily homeless and eventually lived with four other people in a one-bedroom apartment during his senior year of high school.[1][3][17]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Bible, The NFL Draft (March 25, 2023). "NFL Draft Profile: Mark Evans II, Offensive Lineman, Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions". Visit NFL Draft on Sports Illustrated, the latest news coverage, with rankings for NFL Draft prospects, College Football, Dynasty and Devy Fantasy Football. Archived from the original on December 22, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
- ^ "Mark Evans II, OL, UAPB | NFL Draft Scouting Report". April 5, 2023. Archived from the original on April 30, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
- ^ a b c Hooks, Kalan (January 19, 2023). "Past adversity drives Arkansas-Pine Bluff's Mark Evans II toward NFL draft". Andscape. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
- ^ "Mark Evans II - Football". UA Pine Bluff Athletics. Archived from the original on August 29, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
- ^ Mosley, Kyle T. (April 23, 2023). "Mark Evans II On Mentorship of Former Saints Willie Roaf, Terron Armstead". Sports Illustrated New Orleans Saints News, Analysis and More. Archived from the original on December 22, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
- ^ Mosley, Kyle T. (January 15, 2022). "UAPB Offensive Lineman Mark Evans II Receives Willie Roaf Award". HBCU Legends. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
- ^ "#UAPBFootball Evans Named Phil Steele FCS Offensive Lineman Of The Year; First Team All-American". UA Pine Bluff Athletics. Archived from the original on December 22, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
- ^ "Mark Evans II Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
- ^ "2023 NFL Draft Scout Mark Evans II College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
- ^ "UAPB's Mark Evans II signs free-agent deal with New Orleans | Arkansas Democrat Gazette". www.arkansasonline.com. April 29, 2023. Archived from the original on December 22, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
- ^ "Instant analysis on every New Orleans Saints move at roster cuts deadline". Saints Wire. August 29, 2023. Archived from the original on December 22, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
- ^ a b "Saints Player Transactions | New Orleans Saints | NewOrleansSaints.com". www.neworleanssaints.com. Archived from the original on December 15, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
- ^ "New Orleans Saints sign 11 to reserve/future contracts". NewOrleansSaints.com. January 8, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
- ^ "NFL News: Saints Cut Ties With Former HBCU Star, OL Mark Evans II". si.com. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
- ^ "New Orleans Saints announce roster moves". neworleanssaints.com. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
- ^ "New Orleans Saints announce roster moves". NewOrleansSaints.com. August 27, 2024.
- ^ Gaither, Steven J. (May 9, 2023). "New Orleans Saints rookie goes from homeless to top-paid UDFA". HBCU Gameday. Archived from the original on December 22, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2023.