Heath Evans(White Running Back)

[white lightning]

Heath Evans of the Patriots has 8 rushes for 65 yards in the first half today.He has already had runs of 14 and 21 yards.He has showed good speed and power.He doesn't even know the offense that good yet but seems to be fitting in great!Let's hope that he can go for over 100 yards and help the Pats get back on the winning track!

 

[speedster]

You certainly lived up to your name there WL.I was going to post the same exact thing but you beat me to it.Anyways this kid looks like he has some moves.He has that oh so familiar look of a former HB but for some strange reason was fattened up to be FB

Does anyone have any info on him? I get so excited when I see a white guy running the ball.

 

[Don Wassall]

It took the usual series of injuries to all other backs for Evans to get in there, but he instantly produced. He had excellent running skills at Auburn. This is from theCF archives:


"(8/23/02) This guy knows how to run with the ball. He is 6'0" 245 lbs. and can run the 40 in an impressive 4.59. Didn't get to run the ball much with Auburn but produced very, very well when he did. In '99, his junior year, he actually led Auburn with 330 yards rushing and followed that up with 260 yards (6.2 yards per carry) as a senior in '00. Went 82 straight rushing attempts over two seasons without losing yardage.

"Was drafted in the third round of the '01 draft, but unfortunately went to the Seahawks, where he sat on the bench and finished the season with 2 carries for 11 yards. Seattle head coach Mike Holmgren seems to have a fear of developing white talent other than at quarterback and offensive line â€â€￾- when he was at Green Bay, Bill Schroeder and Travis Jervey were inserted in Holmgren's "doghouse" rather than developed, so Evans, if and when he replaces Mack Strong at fullback, will probably be strictly a blocking back rather than utilizing his athleticism and running skills."
Edited by: Don Wassall

 

[Don Wassall]

BTW, it's nice to see you back around these parts again Speedster!

 

[White Shogun]

If Miami beats the Patriots today while NE has Evans running the ball, how much of the blame for the loss will be attributed to the Patriots being without Corey Dillon?

 

[backrow]

Patriots will win, i'm sure

... but yeah, yet another back pressed into emergency service after all the "real" running backs go down... and he does his job just like so recently Brock Forsey and Brad Hoover...


Evans was even descibed by commentators as "fast"... he had 2 runs of 14 yards and his longest was 21... not too chubby for a guy that in his whole career carried the ball only 33 times for 108 tough yards, he's in his 5th year now... so far he has 11 carries for 78 yards, with 22 minutes still left in the game...


i want to see a 100 yard effort by a white back!

 

[IceSpeed2]

He got 100+ total yards. That's something. He cut the wrong way on a couple of plays preventing better statistics. Evans had a great game. Good job on the PAT Evans!!! Expect great things to come with Dillon's ankle problems.
Dwight also could have scored on that long pass reception if he only cut the other way. Well, nobody is perfect and he made a hell of a catch.

Hopefully, he is not replaced by Michael Cloud as a ball carrier. Cloud has had his moments, but also a career characterized by lack of discipline and drug use. Edited by: IceSpeed2

 

[BonnieBlue]

Quote from Evans after his release from Miami earlier this month: "...To play 4 1/2 years in the NFL after being a white boy running back from the King's Academy.....who would have thought that was possible?"


Heath was a two-time all-state tailback in hs in Fla. Still, at Auburn he totaled only 149 carries in his 4 years.


In an interview, Evans stated: when he retires he wishes to minister to youth; his autobiography would be titled, "Blessed"; and the person he most admires is his father.


What if Evans had been given a fair shot at Auburn? What if instead of being 6' 250#, Evans was 225# and allowed to run with the ball?


I'm surprised Evans was drafted as high as the 3rd round.


How does a running back who totaled 30-some carries in the 5 previous seasons, who was just cut two weeks ago, end up performing so well for the Super Bowl champs? It just doesn't add up.

 

[BonnieBlue]

The more I think about how Evans' football career has developed ever since he left hs, the more disgusted I feel. You could argue that he would be justified in being pissed, frustrated, whatever, yet he considers himself "blessed". Thistrait of unselfishness istypical of the white athlete, although there certainly are exceptions.


Evans was screwed by the system from developing fully his natural talents. We were denied the pleasure of watching him excel and of pointing to him as a proper role model.

 

[Don Wassall]

Still, at Auburn he totaled only 149 carries in his 4 years.

Not so at all. He led Auburn in rushing one year, though it was only for 330 yards. See my post above.

 

[backrow]

Hopefully, he is not replaced by Michael Cloud as a ball carrier. Cloud has had his moments, but also a career characterized by lack of discipline and drug use.

Cloud has hard time getting out of the backfield for the most part, and has uncanny ability to trip over field lines... i dont understand how he is still in the league...Edited by: backrow

 

[right winger]

There's only one possible reason. . . Mike Cloud, tailback, negro, . . .

 

[REDNOSE]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/recap?gid=20051113015


Another example of the mediadownplaying the accomplishments of a white guy. The article basically states that it is a freaking miracle that New England wonwhile not havingany viable runningbacks available. I cant believe this crap anymore. However, I like Tom Brady's quote saying he cant believe any team would cut this guy. Bravo to New England for given Heath a chance.

 

[Don Wassall]

If a black quarterback who had been discarded by two teams came out of nowhere because of injury and won the game for his team back when there were no black quarterbacks, it would have been a big, big story.


If Heath Evans had been a black fullback who had kicked around and came out of nowhere because of injury and won the game for his team, it would have been a very publicized, feel-good story.


But Evans was a very minor storyline in everything I've seen. The mediais simply incapable of having anyempathy for whites in any endeavor, sports-related or otherwise.

 

[white lightning]

I wish we could start our own newspaper or even our own magazing to compete with S.I. For now,I'm just happy that we can all come here to talk about what's really going on.As the saying goes,you can't believe everything you read.Heath Evans was flat out amazing coming in and doing what he did with very little preparation!

 

[backrow]

I wish we could start our own newspaper or even our own magazing to compete with S.I. For now,I'm just happy that we can all come here to talk about what's really going on.As the saying goes,you can't believe everything you read.Heath Evans was flat out amazing coming in and doing what he did with very little preparation!

exactly! i believe that offense of a team such as Patriots is pretty tough to be picked up easily over short period of time and he did that just fine, and played a position which he hasnt played in last 5 years...

 

[white lightning]

Good news guys.As of right now,it is almost definite that Heath will start again on Sunday.Dillon is going to need at least a couple more weeks to get back to 100%.The longer the better as far as I'm concerned.It just sucks that he will have to block most of the time after that.Hopefully the Pats will give him around 5 or more touches even after Dillon is back.It would be nice to see them reward him for all of his hard work.

 

[backrow]

my wishlisr for next week as far as RBs are concerned: Mike Alstott scores twice vs Atlanta and Heath Evans gets over a 100 yards and a TD

oh and someone give a ball to Hoover!

 

[Colonel_Reb]

I will have to try to watch these guys Sunday. Maybe some great things will happen!

 

[Alpha Male]

Kudos to Tom Brady for saying "how could anyone cut this guy." He should of followed it up with "probably cause he was discriminated against."

I don't like how Evans referred to himself as "white boy running back." Kind of plays into the whole stereotype. All we need is one these guys to say something on national news "white guys can play running back, we just aren't given a fair chance" to spark some interest in this matter.

Like I said in an earlier post, I plan on doing a documentary about this whole subject of white discrimination in football. With the way documentaries are hot right now, this is the proper time to do one.Edited by: Alpha Male

 

[backrow]

I don't like how Evans referred to himself as "white boy running back." Kind of plays into the whole stereotype. All we need is one these guys to say something on national news "white guys can play running back, we just aren't given a fair chance" to spark some interest in this matter.

i think it was his way of letting people know that white guys can run just as well as black guys given a chance... he didnt take a direct shot at a system but it was close enough since he made that remark... he wasn't at all downplaying himself imo...

 

[Uberberserker]

I don't like how Evans referred to himself as "white boy running back." Kind of plays into the whole stereotype.

I agree, but at the same time we have to remember that (I think I am going to get flamed for this...) that most likely he is a jock and not a Rocket Scientist so he may not express himself in the best way. (Not that White Athletes can't be smart as well, just look at former Seahawks RB Dan Doornick who today is an MD or WR Kevin Curtis who supposedly has a 140+ IQ)

GO EVANS!

 

[Guest]

He should have said "White Man." But the conditioning runs deep. I view "white boy" as fighting words.

 

[White Shogun]

I think he used it to 'show up' those who use the term derogatorily. See the following example:

Black guy [pointing finger at white man]: "I'm gonna kick yo ass, white boy!"

White guy [standing over his foe, who lies bleeding on the pavement]: "I guess I don't fight too bad for a white boy, huh?"

 

[backrow]

I think he used it to 'show up' those who use the term derogatorily. See the following example:

Black guy [pointing finger at white man]: "I'm gonna kick yo ass, white boy!"

White guy [standing over his foe, who lies bleeding on the pavement]: "I guess I don't fight too bad for a white boy, huh?"

exactly what i was getting at