Lee Evans (American football) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lee Evans

Evans with the Buffalo Bills in 2009
No. 83
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:	(1981-03-11) March 11, 1981 (age 44) Bedford, Ohio, U.S.
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
Buffalo Bills (2004–2010) Baltimore Ravens (2011) Jacksonville Jaguars (2012)*
Career highlights and awards
First-team All-American (2001) 2× First-team All-Big Ten (2001, 2003)
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 381 Receiving yards: 6,008 Receiving touchdowns: 43
Player stats at PFR

Lee Evans III, born on March 11, 1981, is a former American football player. He was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). Lee played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers. The Buffalo Bills picked him in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft. He was the 13th player chosen overall. Lee also played for the Baltimore Ravens.

Lee Evans was a very fast player who could catch long passes. He was known as a "deep threat" for the Bills. Even though he never made it to the Pro Bowl, he is still one of the top five receivers in Bills history. He ranks high in catches, yards, and touchdowns.

Early Life and High School

Lee Evans was born in Bedford, Ohio. This town is a suburb located southeast of Cleveland. He went to Bedford High School. Besides playing football, Lee was also a talented hurdler. He was very fast in track and field events.

College Football Career

Lee Evans played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers. He had a great career there.

Freshman Year (2000)

In his first year at Wisconsin in 2000, Lee caught 30 passes. He gained 528 yards and scored 5 touchdowns.

Sophomore Year (2001)

In 2001, Lee had an amazing season. He caught 75 passes for 1,545 yards. This means he averaged over 20 yards for each catch. He also scored 9 touchdowns. He did this even though he played with three different quarterbacks that year.

Injury and Return (2002-2003)

Lee tore a ligament in his knee (ACL) during a practice game in 2002. This injury made him miss the entire season. He came back strong in 2003 for his last year at Wisconsin. He caught 64 passes for 1,213 yards and 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

Lee Evans was a top player coming out of college. He was known for his speed and catching ability.

Joining the Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills chose Lee Evans as their 13th pick in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft. He was the first wide receiver the Bills picked in the first round since Eric Moulds in 1996.

Lee wanted to wear the number 3, which he wore in college. However, wide receivers in the NFL were not allowed to wear single-digit numbers at that time. They could only wear numbers from 80 to 89. So, Lee chose number 83. This number was special because it had been set aside after the great Bills player Andre Reed retired. Lee got special permission to wear it.

Rookie Season Success

Lee became a starter in his first season with the Bills. He quickly became one of their best offensive players. As a rookie, he caught 48 passes for 843 yards and scored 9 touchdowns. Those 9 touchdowns are still a record for a Bills rookie.

Becoming a Fan Favorite

Lee Evans quickly became very popular with Bills fans. After Eric Moulds left the team, Lee became the Bills' main receiver in 2006. He had 82 catches for 1,292 yards and 8 touchdowns. He was a key player for quarterback J. P. Losman, known for his ability to catch long passes.

On November 19, 2006, in a game against the Houston Texans, Lee set a Bills record. He gained 205 receiving yards in just one quarter and 265 yards in the whole game. He also made history by catching two touchdown passes that were both over 80 yards long in a single quarter.

In a 2007 game against the New York Jets, Lee made an amazing play. He wrestled a long pass away from Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis. This play resulted in an 85-yard touchdown catch. It helped the Bills win the game 13–3.

Later Years with the Bills

Lee had shoulder surgery in 2008, but it didn't slow him down much. He had another great season with over 1,000 receiving yards. He caught 63 passes for 1,017 yards and 3 touchdowns. One of his touchdowns was an 87-yard catch from J. P. Losman.

The next two seasons were not as successful for Lee. Other players like Terrell Owens and Stevie Johnson started to become the Bills' top receivers. On December 12, 2010, Lee injured his ankle and was placed on injured reserve. This was his last game for the Bills.

Lee finished his career with the Buffalo Bills as one of their all-time best. He ranks third in receiving yards (5,934) and touchdowns (43). He is also fourth in total catches (377). Six of his catches went for more than 70 yards.

Time with the Baltimore Ravens

On August 12, 2011, Lee Evans was traded to the Baltimore Ravens. He missed some games that season because of injuries. He played in 9 games and had 4 catches for 74 yards.

In the AFC Championship Game that year, Lee had a chance to make a game-winning catch. The ball was thrown to him in the end zone, but a New England Patriots player knocked it out of his hands. If he had caught it, the Ravens would likely have gone to the Super Bowl. The Patriots ended up winning the game.

Short Time with the Jacksonville Jaguars

On April 15, 2012, Lee signed a one-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, he was released by the team on August 12, 2012.

Retirement from Football

After being released by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2012, Lee Evans announced his retirement from professional football.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular season

Playoffs