Heath Evans
{{Short description|American football player and sports analyst (born 1978)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Heath Evans
| image = Heath Evans.JPG
| caption = Evans with the New England Patriots in 2007
| number = 44
| position = Fullback
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1978|12|30}}
| birth_place = West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 0
| weight_lbs = 250
| high_school = The King's Academy
(West Palm Beach, Florida)
| college = Auburn
| draftyear = 2001
| draftround = 3
| draftpick = 82
| pastteams = * Seattle Seahawks ({{NFL Year|2001}}–{{NFL Year|2004}})
- Miami Dolphins ({{NFL Year|2005}})
- New England Patriots ({{NFL Year|2005}}–{{NFL Year|2008}})
- New Orleans Saints ({{NFL Year|2009}}–{{NFL Year|2010}})
| highlights = * Super Bowl champion (XLIV)
| statlabel1 = Rushing yards
| statvalue1 = 579
| statlabel2 = Rushing average
| statvalue2 = 3.5
| statlabel3 = Rushing touchdowns
| statvalue3 = 4
| statlabel4 = Receptions
| statvalue4 = 57
| statlabel5 = Receiving yards
| statvalue5 = 439
| statlabel6 = Receiving touchdowns
| statvalue6 = 4
| pfr = EvanHe00
}}
Bryan Heath Evans (born December 30, 1978) is an American former professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for the Auburn Tigers, he was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2001 NFL draft. He also played in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and New Orleans Saints, the last of which he won a Super Bowl with while on injured reserve. Evans retired after the 2010 season and was formerly an analyst with NFL Network.
Early life
While attending The King's Academy in West Palm Beach, Evans lettered in football and basketball. In football, he was a two-time All-State selection as a tailback. During a game his junior year, Heath was once tackled in the backfield by Tom Segura.[http://www.patriots.com/team/index.cfm?ac=playerbio&bio=31576 Heath Evans biography] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070804051758/http://www.patriots.com/team/index.cfm?ac=playerbio&bio=31576 |date=August 4, 2007 }} Patriots.com. Accessed July 9, 2007.
College career
Evans attended Auburn University. In football, he finished his three-year career with 149 rushing attempts for 626 yards (4.2 yards per rush) and six touchdowns, and 30 receptions for 354 yards (11.8 yards per reception) and a touchdown.
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 5
| height in = 11 7/8
| weight = 246
| dash = 4.56
| ten split = 1.59
| twenty split = 2.64
| shuttle = 4.24
| cone drill = 7.30
| vertical = 34.5
| broad ft = 9
| broad in = 3
| bench = 30
| arm span = 31 1/2
| hand span = 9
| note = All values from NFL Combine{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=533&DraftYear=2001 |title=2001 NFL Draft Scout Heath Evans College Football Profile |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=May 24, 2024}}
}}
=Seattle Seahawks=
Evans was the first fullback taken in the 2001 NFL draft, with the Seahawks selecting him in the third round (82nd overall).{{Cite web |title=2001 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2001/draft.htm |access-date=2023-03-18 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} Evans spent four years in Seattle blocking for running back Shaun Alexander.
=Miami Dolphins =
Evans signed with the Miami Dolphins in the spring of 2005.[http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=hawk11&date=20021211 Q & A: Evans learning from his friends] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519093139/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20021211&slug=hawk11 |date=May 19, 2011 }} The Seattle Times. While in Miami, Evans was re-united with former Auburn tailback Ronnie Brown (with whom he was a teammate in 2000), but was cut six weeks into the season.
=New England Patriots=
One week later, the New England Patriots signed Evans for the remainder of the 2005 season. On November 16, he filled in for an injured Corey Dillon at tailback against his former team and rushed for 84 yards on 17 carries and caught 3 passes for 18 yards, subsequently leading the Patriots to victory. On March 23, 2006, the Patriots re-signed Evans as an unrestricted free agent to another one-year contract.
During the 2006 season, Evans ran for 117 yards on 27 carries. He also caught 7 passes for 34 yards. In week 5 against the Dolphins, Evans scored his first career touchdown on a 1-yard reception from Tom Brady. Two weeks later against the Minnesota Vikings, Evans recorded his career long carry of 35 yards. Against the San Diego Chargers in the playoffs, Evans recorded 3 special team tackles in the Patriots' 24–21 upset. Evans caught 4 passes in the AFC Championship loss to the Colts.
On February 24, 2007, the Patriots announced that Evans signed a two-year contract extension, keeping him off the free agent market. During the pre-season, in a Week 3 scrimmage against the Carolina Panthers, Evans rushed for 58 yards on 7 carries with 1 touchdown and caught 2 receptions for 19 yards and a score. His touchdown run was of 2 yards and his touchdown reception was of 8 yards. In total, he had 77 yards of total offense on 9 touches with 2 touchdowns. Evans rushed for a 2-yard touchdown against the New York Jets in a 38–14 victory in the opening game of the 2007 season.
=New Orleans Saints=
An unrestricted free agent in the 2009 offseason, Evans was signed by the New Orleans Saints on March 5. Upon the signing, the team released incumbent fullback Mike Karney. Evans played in the Saints' first six games (5 att, 16yds, 1 touchdown), but he suffered a season-ending knee injury in their October 25 game against the Miami Dolphins and was placed on the injured reserve list.{{cite web |title=New Orleans Saints fullback Heath Evans undergoes season-ending knee surgery; replaced on roster by veteran Kyle Eckel |url=http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2009/10/post_68.html |website=NEW ORLEANS SAINTS CENTRAL |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091031193614/http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2009/10/post_68.html |archive-date=31 October 2009|url-status=dead}} While Evans was on injured reserve, the Saints went on to beat the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV, earning Evans his only Super Bowl ring.{{cite web | last=Battista | first=Judy | title=Champs? The Saints, Dat’s Who | website=The New York Times | date=2010-02-08 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/08/sports/football/08super.html | access-date=2025-05-13}}
=Retirement=
On August 24, 2011, Evans announced via Twitter that he had decided to retire from the NFL after 10 seasons, agreeing to a multi-year contract to become an analyst for the NFL Network.{{cite tweet|number=106235754933526530|user=HeathEvans|title=Heath Evans retirement announcement.}}{{dead link|date=December 2021}}
NFL career statistics
| class="wikitable mw-collapsible" |
| colspan="2"| Legend |
|---|
| Bold
| Career high |
=Regular season=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" | ||||||||||||
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Team ! colspan="2"| Games ! colspan="5"| Rushing ! colspan="5"| Receiving | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | |
| 2001 | SEA
| 16 || 0 || 2 || 11 || 5.5 || 7 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||
| 2002 | SEA
| 16 || 1 || 17 || 53 || 3.1 || 8 || 0 || 8 || 41 || 5.1 || 13 || 0 | |||||||||||
| 2003 | SEA
| 14 || 0 || 7 || 24 || 3.4 || 8 || 0 || 2 || 34 || 17.0 || 20 || 0 | |||||||||||
| 2004 | SEA
| 15 || 0 || 7 || 20 || 2.9 || 7 || 0 || 2 || 12 || 6.0 || 9 || 0 | |||||||||||
| rowspan="2" | 2005 | MIA
| 6 || 2 || 1 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 4 || 17 || 4.3 || 5 || 0 | |||||||||||
| NE
| 6 || 1 || 51 || 192 || 3.8 || 21 || 0 || 10 || 88 || 8.8 || 19 || 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2006 | NE
| 16 || 3 || 27 || 117 || 4.3 || 35 || 0 || 7 || 34 || 4.9 || 11 || 1 | |||||||||||
| 2007 | NE
| 16 || 1 || 34 || 121 || 3.6 || 11 || 3 || 4 || 43 || 10.8 || 29 || 0 | |||||||||||
| 2008 | NE
| 16 || 4 || 11 || 23 || 2.1 || 4 || 0 || 3 || 59 || 19.7 || 28 || 0 | |||||||||||
| 2009 | NO
| 6 || 5 || 5 || 16 || 3.2 || 6 || 1 || 10 || 70 || 7.0 || 13 || 2 | |||||||||||
| 2010 | NO
| 16 || 6 || 2 || 2 || 1.0 || 2 || 0 || 7 || 41 || 5.9 || 18 || 1 | |||||||||||
| colspan="2"| | 143 | 23 | 164 | 579 | 3.5 | 35 | 4 | 57 | 439 | 7.7 | 29 | 4 |
=Playoffs=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" | ||||||||||||
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Team ! colspan="2"| Games ! colspan="5"| Rushing ! colspan="5"| Receiving | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | |
| 2003 | SEA
| 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||
| 2004 | SEA
| 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||
| 2005 | NE
| 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 3 || 3.0 || 3 || 0 | |||||||||||
| 2006 | NE
| 3 || 0 || 2 || 4 || 2.0 || 4 || 0 || 4 || 33 || 8.3 || 15 || 0 | |||||||||||
| 2007 | NE
| 3 || 0 || 3 || 9 || 3.0 || 4 || 0 || 1 || 13 || 13.0 || 13 || 0 | |||||||||||
| 2010 | NO
| 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 4 || 23 || 5.8 || 8 || 1 | |||||||||||
| colspan="2"| | 10 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 2.6 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 72 | 7.2 | 15 | 1 |
Broadcasting career
Evans was an analyst on NFL Network and joined the NFL on Fox as a game analyst in 2012 with Sam Rosen.
On December 12, 2017, Evans, along with Marshall Faulk and Ike Taylor, was suspended from the NFL Network after sexual harassment accusations against them were made.{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/12/12/nfl-network-suspends-marshall-faulk-ike-taylor-heath-evans-over-sexual-harassment-claims/|title=NFL Network suspends Marshall Faulk, Ike Taylor, Heath Evans over sexual harassment claims|first=Matt|last=Bonesteel|date=December 12, 2017|access-date=December 12, 2017|via=www.washingtonpost.com}}
On August 9, 2018, Evans released a statement that he was fired from the NFL Network after refusing to sign a "silencing agreement."
Personal
Evans has two daughters, Ava and Naomi; they reside in Manhattan Beach, CA.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}}
In September 2017, Evans launched an Athletic Performance Coaching and Fitness Apparel website.{{cite web |url=http://heathevans44.com/ |title = Heath Evans}}
He married Christine Porter on August 21, 2020.
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
{{Commons}}
- {{Official website|http://heathevans44.com/}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070804051758/http://www.patriots.com/team/index.cfm?ac=playerbio&bio=31576 New England Patriots bio]
- [http://www.neworleanssaints.com/team/roster/Heath-Evans/86f1aa3b-764a-4b70-993b-44b5c47e3b99 New Orleans Saints bio] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160920004852/http://www.neworleanssaints.com/team/roster/Heath-Evans/86f1aa3b-764a-4b70-993b-44b5c47e3b99 |date=September 20, 2016 }}
- [http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/onairtalent/heath_evans NFL Network bio]
{{Seahawks2001DraftPicks}}
{{Super Bowl XLIV}}
{{NFL Network}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, Heath}}
Category:American football fullbacks
Category:Auburn Tigers football players
Category:Miami Dolphins players
Category:New England Patriots players
Category:New Orleans Saints players
Category:Seattle Seahawks players
Category:Players of American football from West Palm Beach, Florida