Maurice Evans (American football)
Encyclopedia
Maurice D. Evans is an American football
defensive end
who is currently a free agent in the National Football League
. He was signed by the New York Giants
as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football
at Penn State
.
Evans has also been a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, Carolina Panthers
and Chicago Bears
.
, Evans was a 4-star recruit by rivals.com and a First-team all state selection and was ranked the nations sixth best defensive end coming out of high school after recording 92 tackles
, four sacks
and four fumble
recoveries as a senior. Evans was named an Army All-America
n as a senior and played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl
. He was heavily recruited by USC, Penn State, and Notre Dame.
as a true freshman, seeing action in all 13 games. He recorded 12 tackles (7 solo), 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He would be named to the First Team of the Sporting News's the All-Big Ten
Freshman Team. In 2007
—Evans' first starting
season at defensive end—Evans recorded 12.5 sacks (including 3.5 against Indiana
). He also had 54 tackles, with 21.5 tackles for loss, to go with the 12.5 sacks, broke up 3 passes in coverage, and forced 5 fumbles. He was a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award
as a sophomore
.
By the start of the 2008 season
Evans was had been named to numerous preseason All-America
n teams, including Phil Steele's All American first team. He is was also on the 2008 Bednarik
, Lombardi
, and Nagurski
award watchlists.
On September 2, 2008, the Penn State University Police responded to a report of loud music at the apartment Evans shared with teammates Abe Koroma, AJ Wallace, and Andrew Quarless
. A search revealed a small amount of marijuana
. Evans and Koroma were each charged and both were subsequently suspended from the team. On September 17, 2008, Evans and Koroma were charged with one count of marijuana possession. Both players entered a program for first-time offenders; under the terms of the program, if they successfully complete a year of probation
, the charges may be expunged from their records.
In 10 games in 2008, Evans recorded just 34 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks. Evans elected to leave Penn State after to 2008 season and enter the NFL Draft
. He trained for the NFL Scouting Combine at Power Train Sports Performance in Millersville, Pennsylvania
.
. He was waived during final cuts on September 4, 2009.
on September 6, 2009. He was waived on September 14.
practice squad on September 24. He was released on October 3 when defensive tackle Ra'Shon Harris
was re-signed to the practice squad.
on October 7, 2009. He was waived on October 10, to make room for Tanard Jackson
. Evans was signed to the Buccaneers' practice squad on October 28.
He was waived on June 14, 2010.
on August 4, 2010.
Evans was waived by the Bears on August 30, 2010
on Christmas Eve, 1988, near the family's home in East New York, Brooklyn
, leaving his mother, Brenda, as the sole caregiver of four-month-old Maurice and his two older siblings.
He is a martial arts black belt
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
who is currently a free agent in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was signed by the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
.
Evans has also been a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
and Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
While playing for Christ The King Regional High SchoolChrist The King Regional High School
Christ the King Regional High School is a Catholic high school located in Middle Village, Queens, New York, USA and established in 1962. Often referred to as 'CK' among its students, it is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn.-History:...
, Evans was a 4-star recruit by rivals.com and a First-team all state selection and was ranked the nations sixth best defensive end coming out of high school after recording 92 tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
, four sacks
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
and four fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
recoveries as a senior. Evans was named an Army All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n as a senior and played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl
U.S. Army All-American Bowl
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football all-star game held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. Currently played in the Alamodome, the game brings 90 of the nation's top high school football players in an East versus West matchup. In addition to the Bowl game, there is the U.S...
. He was heavily recruited by USC, Penn State, and Notre Dame.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
College career
Evans was an immediate contributor in 20062006 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
The 2006 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2006–2007 college football season. The team's head coach was Joe Paterno. It played its home games at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania....
as a true freshman, seeing action in all 13 games. He recorded 12 tackles (7 solo), 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He would be named to the First Team of the Sporting News's the All-Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
Freshman Team. In 2007
2007 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
The 2007 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2007 college football season. The team was coached by Joe Paterno and played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania....
—Evans' first starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
season at defensive end—Evans recorded 12.5 sacks (including 3.5 against Indiana
Indiana Hoosiers football
The Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and in the Big Ten Conference.-Bowl games:...
). He also had 54 tackles, with 21.5 tackles for loss, to go with the 12.5 sacks, broke up 3 passes in coverage, and forced 5 fumbles. He was a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award
Ted Hendricks Award
The Ted Hendricks Award is given annually to college football's top defensive end. The award is named after Ted Hendricks, who is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame as well as the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is presented by his own 501 foundation, called the Ted Hendricks...
as a sophomore
Sophomore
Sophomore is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the second year of study at high school or university.The word is also used as a synonym for "second", for the second album or EP released by a musician or group, the second movie of a director, or the second season of a...
.
By the start of the 2008 season
2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
The 2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the 2008 college football season. The team is coached by Joe Paterno and plays its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.-Previous season:...
Evans was had been named to numerous preseason All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n teams, including Phil Steele's All American first team. He is was also on the 2008 Bednarik
Chuck Bednarik Award
The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive collegiate football player adjudged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States...
, Lombardi
Lombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
, and Nagurski
Bronko Nagurski Trophy
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America to be the best defensively in the National Collegiate Athletic Association; the award is presented by the Charlotte...
award watchlists.
On September 2, 2008, the Penn State University Police responded to a report of loud music at the apartment Evans shared with teammates Abe Koroma, AJ Wallace, and Andrew Quarless
Andrew Quarless
Andrew Christopher Quarless is an American football player for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He played college football at Penn State under Joe Paterno...
. A search revealed a small amount of marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
. Evans and Koroma were each charged and both were subsequently suspended from the team. On September 17, 2008, Evans and Koroma were charged with one count of marijuana possession. Both players entered a program for first-time offenders; under the terms of the program, if they successfully complete a year of probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
, the charges may be expunged from their records.
In 10 games in 2008, Evans recorded just 34 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks. Evans elected to leave Penn State after to 2008 season and enter the NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
. He trained for the NFL Scouting Combine at Power Train Sports Performance in Millersville, Pennsylvania
Millersville, Pennsylvania
Millersville is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 7,774.-Geography:Millersville is located at ....
.
Pre-draft
| Pre-draft measureables | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash 40 yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football... |
10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20 ss 20 yard shuttle The 20-yard shuttle, also simply called the short shuttle, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the quickness and change-of-direction ability of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
3-cone 3 cone drill The 3 cone drill, or three cone drill, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the agility, quickness and fluidity of movement of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
Vert Vertical jump A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is... |
Broad | BP Bench press The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight... |
Wonderlic | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6-2 ** | 264 ** | 4.99 * | X | X | 4.57 * | 7.32 * | 29" * | 8'01" * | 17 * | 21 * | |||||||||
| **NFL Combine—"X" Denotes "No Data" or "Did Not Participate" | |||||||||||||||||||
New York Giants
Evans was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Giants after not being taken in the 2009 NFL Draft2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
. He was waived during final cuts on September 4, 2009.
First stint with Buccaneers
Evans was claimed off waivers by the Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
on September 6, 2009. He was waived on September 14.
Carolina Panthers
Evans was signed to the Carolina PanthersCarolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
practice squad on September 24. He was released on October 3 when defensive tackle Ra'Shon Harris
Ra'Shon Harris
Ra'Shon Lamar "Sunny" Harris is an American football defensive end he is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
was re-signed to the practice squad.
Second stint with Buccaneers
Evans was re-signed by the Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
on October 7, 2009. He was waived on October 10, to make room for Tanard Jackson
Tanard Jackson
Tanard Ricardo Jackson is an American football safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
. Evans was signed to the Buccaneers' practice squad on October 28.
He was waived on June 14, 2010.
Chicago Bears
Evans signed with the Chicago BearsChicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
on August 4, 2010.
Evans was waived by the Bears on August 30, 2010
Personal
Evans' father Michael Evans, was stabbed to deathHomicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
on Christmas Eve, 1988, near the family's home in East New York, Brooklyn
East New York, Brooklyn
East New York is a residential neighborhood located in the Eastern section of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City, United States. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 5...
, leaving his mother, Brenda, as the sole caregiver of four-month-old Maurice and his two older siblings.
He is a martial arts black belt
Black belt (martial arts)
In martial arts, the black belt is a way to describe a graduate of a field where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a degree of competence. It is often associated with a teaching grade though...
.