Lee Evans (American football) facts for kids
Evans with the Bills in 2009
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| No. 83 | |||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | March 11, 1981 Bedford, Ohio, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 197 lb (89 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Bedford | ||||||
| College: | Wisconsin (1999–2003) | ||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 13 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||
Lee Evans III, born on March 11, 1981, is a former American professional football player. He played as a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). Evans played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers. The Buffalo Bills chose him in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft. He was the 13th player picked overall. He also played for the Baltimore Ravens.
Evans became a very good deep threat for the Bills. This means he was great at catching long passes. He is still one of the top five receivers in Bills history. This is true for catches, yards, and touchdowns. He achieved this even though he never made the Pro Bowl.
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Early Life and High School Sports
Evans was born in Bedford, Ohio. This is a town near Cleveland. He went to Bedford High School. Besides football, Evans was also a talented hurdler. He was very fast in track events. He ran the 110-meter hurdles and the 300-meter hurdles.
College Football Career
Evans played college football at the University of Wisconsin. In his first year, 2000, he caught 30 passes. He gained 528 yards and scored 5 touchdowns.
In 2001, Evans had an amazing season. He caught 75 passes for 1,545 yards. He averaged over 20 yards per catch. He also scored 9 touchdowns. This was impressive because he played with three different quarterbacks that year.
Evans had an injury in 2002. He tore a ligament in his knee. This meant he missed the entire season.
In 2003, his last year at Wisconsin, Evans returned strong. He caught 64 passes for 1,213 yards. He scored 13 touchdowns. One of his best games was against the Michigan State Spartans. He caught 10 passes for 258 yards and scored 5 touchdowns in that game.
Professional Football Career
Playing for the Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills picked Lee Evans as the 13th player in the 2004 NFL draft. He was the first wide receiver the Bills picked in the first round since Eric Moulds in 1996.
Evans wanted to wear the number 3, which he wore in college. However, NFL rules did not allow wide receivers to wear number 3. They could only wear numbers 80–89. So, Evans chose number 83. He got special permission to use it. The Bills had set aside number 83 after Andre Reed, a great former player, retired.
Evans quickly became a starter in his first year. He was one of the Bills' best offensive players. As a rookie, he caught 48 passes for 843 yards. He scored 9 touchdowns. Those 9 touchdowns are still a record for a Bills rookie.
Evans became a favorite among Bills fans. After Eric Moulds left, Evans became the Bills' top receiver in 2006. He had 82 catches for 1,292 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns. He was a key player for quarterback J. P. Losman. He was known for catching long passes.
On November 19, 2006, Evans set two Bills records against the Houston Texans. He gained 205 receiving yards in one quarter. He also gained 265 receiving yards in one game. He was the first player in NFL history to catch two touchdowns over 80 yards in one quarter. Both were 83-yard touchdown passes.
In a 2007 game against the New York Jets, Evans made a big play. He caught a long pass from a Jets player. This led to an 85-yard touchdown. It helped the Bills win the game 13–3.
Evans had a minor shoulder surgery in 2008. His coach said his shoulder had bothered him for two years. But the surgery did not slow him down. In 2008, he had another great season. He caught 63 passes for 1,017 yards and three touchdowns. One touchdown was an 87-yard catch. Even with his strong play, the Bills did not make the playoffs that year.
The next two seasons were not as successful for Evans. His yards and touchdowns went down. Other players like Terrell Owens and Stevie Johnson became the Bills' top receivers.
On December 12, 2010, Evans hurt his ankle. This was against the Cleveland Browns. He was placed on injured reserve. This was his last game for the Bills. Evans finished his time with the Bills with many records. He had the third most receiving yards (5,934) and touchdowns (43) in team history. He also had the fourth most catches (377). Six of his catches went for more than 70 yards.
Playing for the Baltimore Ravens
On August 12, 2011, Evans was traded to the Baltimore Ravens. He missed some games that season due to injuries. He played in 9 games. He finished with four catches for 74 yards.
In the AFC Championship Game, Evans had a chance to make a big play. A pass was thrown to him in the end zone. If he caught it, the Ravens would likely have gone to the Super Bowl. The ball hit his hands, but a New England Patriots player, Sterling Moore, knocked it out. Two plays later, the Ravens missed a field goal. The Patriots won the game.
Playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars
On April 15, 2012, Evans signed a one-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, he was released by the team on August 12, 2012.
Retirement from Football
In 2012, after being released by the Jacksonville Jaguars, Lee Evans announced that he was retiring from professional football.
