{{Short description|American football player (born 1999)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox college football player |name=Samson Evans |image= |caption= |currentnumber=22 |currentposition=Running back |birth_date={{birth date and age|1999|10|15}} |birth_place= |heightft=6 |heightin=0 |weight_lb=217 |highlights= * Second-team All-MAC (2022) |bowlgames= |highschool=Prairie Ridge (Crystal Lake, Illinois) |pastschools= *Iowa (2018–2019) *Eastern Michigan (2020–2023) |espn=4360492 }}
'''Samson Joseph Evans''' (born October 15, 1999) is an American former college football running back who played for the Eastern Michigan Eagles.
==Early life== Evans attended Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake, Illinois, and played running back and quarterback on the football team. As a senior, he completed 24 of his 52 passes for 609 yards and eight touchdowns, while rushing for 2,092 yards and 38 touchdowns, and returning two punts for touchdowns.<ref>{{cite web |title=Samson Evans Football Stats |url=https://www.maxpreps.com/il/crystal-lake/prairie-ridge-wolves/athletes/samson-evans/football/stats/?careerid=s095428v1u4m6 |website=MaxPreps.com |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref> Evans committed to play college football at the University of Iowa over other schools such as Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Minnesota, and Syracuse.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sanderson |first1=Blair |title=Hawkeyes land Samson Evans |url=https://iowa.rivals.com/news/hawkeyes-land-samson-evans |website=Rivals.com |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Tim |first1=Edgy |title=Prairie Ridge's Samson Evans commits to Iowa |url=https://www.nbcsportschicago.com/preps/prairie-ridges-samson-evans-commits-to-iowa/317251/ |website=NBC Sports Chicago |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref>
==College career== ===Iowa=== Evans redshirted two season at Iowa before deciding to enter the NCAA transfer portal.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Taylor |first1=John |title=Iowa sees second player in three days enter the transfer portal |url=https://www.nbcsports.com/college-football/news/iowa-football-samson-evans-ncaa-transfer-database |website=NBC Sports |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref>
===Eastern Michigan=== Evans transferred to Eastern Michigan.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stepien |first1=Garrett |title=Iowa running back Samson Evans transfers to Eastern Michigan |url=https://247sports.com/article/iowa-hawkeyes-football-samson-evans-transfer-easter-michigan-running-back-149347144/ |website=247Sports |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref> In week 5 of the 2020 season, he rushed for 61 yards and his first career touchdown{{cn|date=January 2025}} in a 53–42 win over Western Michigan.<ref>{{cite web |title=Saturday's state football: Eastern Michigan gets 1st win, 53-42 over Western Michigan |url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/2020/12/05/eastern-michigan-gets-1st-win-53-42-over-western-michigan/3844355001/ |website=The Detroit News |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref> Evans finished the 2020 season with 202 yards and a touchdown on 41 carries, while also bringing in six receptions for 46 yards.<ref name="SR">{{cite web |title=Samson Evans College Stats |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/samson-evans-1.html |website=Sports Reference |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref> In the 2021 season opener he rushed for 11 yards and three touchdowns in a 35–15 win over Saint Francis.<ref>{{cite web |title=Evans 3 TDs lifts E. Michigan past St. Francis (PA) 35-15 |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/gametracker/recap/NCAAF_20210903_STFRPA@EMICH/ |website=CBS Sports |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref> In week 10, Evans rushed for 62 yards and two touchdowns in a 34–26 loss to Ohio.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rourke's 3 TD passes, strong ground game lead Ohio past EMU |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/gametracker/recap/NCAAF_20211109_OHIO@EMICH/ |website=CBS Sports |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref> He finished the 2021 season with 316 yards and 13 touchdowns on 83 carries, while also catching 19 passes for 107 yards.<ref name=SR/>
Evans had a hot start to the 2022 season, rushing for 89 yards and two touchdown, as he helped Eastern Michigan beat Eastern Kentucky 42–34.<ref>{{cite web |title=EMU football opens 2022 with another 1-score win, 42-34, over Eastern Kentucky |url=https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/2022/09/03/mac-football-roundup-eastern-michigan-score-eastern-kentucky/65471516007/ |website=Detroit Free Press |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref> In week 3, he rushed for a school record 258 yards and a touchdown in a 30–21 win over Arizona State,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Thompson |first1=Jack |title=Evans rushes for 257 yards and Eastern Michigan defeats Arizona State |url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/2022/09/18/evans-rushes-257-yards-and-eastern-michigan-eagles-defeat-arizona-state-sun-devils/10418857002/ |website=The Detroit News |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref> and was named the MAC offensive player of the week.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wickliffe |first1=Greg |title=EMU football sweeps MAC Player of the Week honors following upset of Arizona State |url=https://www.mlive.com/sports/ann-arbor/2022/09/emu-football-sweeps-mac-player-of-the-week-honors-following-upset-of-arizona-state.html |website=MLive.com |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref> In week 6, Evans rushed for 90 yards and three touchdowns in a 45–23 win over Western Michigan.<ref>{{cite web |title=Eastern Michigan rolls past Western Michigan 45-23 |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/gametracker/recap/NCAAF_20221008_EMICH@WMICH/ |website=CBS Sports |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref> In week 8, he rushed for 88 yards and three touchdowns in a 24–21 defeat to Toledo.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gleason leads Toledo comeback over Eastern Michigan, 27-24 |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/gametracker/recap/NCAAF_20221029_TOLEDO@EMICH/ |website=CBS Sports |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref> The next week, Evans rushed 24 times for 133 yards and two touchdowns in a 34–28 win over Akron.<ref>{{cite web |title=Eastern Michigan football becomes bowl eligible with 34-28 win over Akron |url=https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/2022/11/09/eastern-michigan-football-bowl-eligible-with-win-akron-zips/69632495007/ |website=The Detroit Free Press |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref> In Eastern Michigan's season finale, he rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown, while also bringing in two receptions for 14 yards, as he helped the Eagles beat Central Michigan 38–19.<ref>{{cite web |title=Powell leads Eastern Michigan over Central Michigan 38-19 |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/gametracker/recap/NCAAF_20221125_CMICH@EMICH/ |website=CBS Sports |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref> For his performance, Evans was again named the MAC offensive player of the week, after becoming the Eagles all-time rushing touchdowns leader.<ref>{{cite web |title=MAC Announces Week 13 Football Players of the Week |url=https://getsomemaction.com/news/2022/11/27/mac-announces-week-13-football-players-of-the-week.aspx |website=Mid-American Conference |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref> In the 2022 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, he rushed for 82 yards and two touchdowns to help the Eagles end their season with a 41–27 victory against San Jose State.<ref>{{cite web |title=E. Michigan beats San Jose St. in Famous Idaho Potato Bowl |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/gametracker/recap/NCAAF_20221220_EMICH@SJST/ |website=CBS Sports |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref> Evans finished his 2022 season with 1,166 yards and 15 touchdowns on 249 carries, while also hauling in 15 receptions for 93 yards, and throwing a three-yard pass for a touchdown.<ref name=SR/> He earned second-team all-MAC honors.<ref>{{cite web |title=MAC Announces 2022 Postseason Football Awards & All-Conference Teams |url=https://getsomemaction.com/news/2022/11/29/mac-announces-2022-postseason-football-awards-all-conference-teams.aspx |website=Mid-American Conference |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref> Evans was named a preseason first-team all-MAC ahead of the 2023 season.<ref>{{cite web |title=2023 Preseason All-MAC Team: Ohio's Kurtis Rourke, Jacoby Jones and Sam Wiglusz make the first team |url=https://www.pff.com/news/college-football-2023-preseason-all-mac-team |website=PFF |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref> He was also named to watchlists of multiple awards, such as the Doak Walker Award, the Maxwell Award, and the Walter Camp Award.<ref>{{cite web |title=Three MAC Student-Athletes Named to 2023 Doak Walker Award Watch List |url=https://getsomemaction.com/news/2023/8/8/football-three-mac-student-athletes-named-to-2023-doak-walker-award-watch-list.aspx |website=Mid-American Conference |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Londergan |first1=Joe |title=G5 Players on the Maxwell Award Preseason Watch List |url=https://athlonsports.com/college-football/cusa-sun-belt-mountain-west-aac-american-conference-mac-football-g5-players-on-the-maxwell-award-preseason-watch-list |website=Athlon Sports.com |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Eastern Michigan's Evans, Ohio's Rourke Tabbed to Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List |url=https://getsomemaction.com/news/2023/8/10/football-ball-states-cooper-ohios-rourke-tabbed-to-walter-camp-player-of-the-year-watch-list.aspx |website=Mid-American Conference |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref>
==Professional career== {{NFL predraft | height ft = 6 | height in = 0 | weight = 215 | dash = 4.80 | ten split = 1.61 | twenty split = 2.76 | shuttle = 4.44 | cone drill = 7.06 | vertical = 33.5 | broad ft = 9 | broad in = 7 | bench = 15 | arm span = 31 | hand span = 9 1/2 | note = All values from Pro Day<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1052737&DraftYear=2024 |title=2024 NFL Draft Scout Samson Evans College Football Profile |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=April 2, 2024}}</ref> }}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://hawkeyesports.com/roster/samson-evans/ Iowa Hawkeyes bio] *[https://emueagles.com/sports/football/roster/samson-evans/14764 Eastern Michigan Eagles bio]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, Samson}} Category:1999 births Category:Living people Category:Players of American football from McHenry County, Illinois Category:Sportspeople from Crystal Lake, Illinois Category:American football running backs Category:Eastern Michigan Eagles football players Category:Iowa Hawkeyes football players