Vince Evans facts for kids

Vincent Tobias Evans (born June 14, 1955) is a former American football player. He was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He also played in the United States Football League (USFL).

Evans played college football for the USC Trojans. He was named the most valuable player (MVP) of the 1977 Rose Bowl. His team won that game 14–6 against Michigan. The Chicago Bears picked him in the sixth round of the 1977 NFL draft.

His professional career lasted almost 20 years, from 1977 to 1995. He played for the Chicago Bears. He also played for the Chicago Blitz and Denver Gold in the USFL. Later, he joined the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders in the NFL.

College Football Journey

Vince Evans played high school football at Ben L. Smith High in Greensboro, North Carolina. Six players from his high school team later played professional football. This group included Jeff Bostic and his brother Joe. Eric Ebron, a tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers, also went to Ben L. Smith.

As a young boy, Evans was amazed by a game between USC and UCLA in 1967. He dreamed of playing for the University of Southern California. He turned down a scholarship from North Carolina Central University. Instead, he moved to Los Angeles to play at Los Angeles City College. He showed off his skills at a showcase event. This impressed USC enough to want him on their team.

Starting at USC

Evans joined USC in 1974. John McKay was the coach then. Evans was a backup quarterback to Pat Haden. In his first year, he completed 6 of 16 passes. He threw one touchdown and one interception. USC finished that season with a great record of 10 wins and 1 loss. They were ranked #1 in the Coaches Poll.

In 1975, Haden left for the NFL. Evans became the starting quarterback. Even with talented running backs like Ricky Bell and Mosi Tatupu, the team's record dropped to 8 wins and 4 losses. They were ranked 17th in the final AP poll. Coach McKay liked to run the ball a lot. So, Evans only threw 112 passes that season.

Best College Season

For Evans' senior year, John Robinson became the new coach. Under Robinson, Evans had his best college season. He completed 95 passes out of 177 attempts. He threw for 10 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. USC's ranking improved a lot. They finished with 11 wins and only 1 loss. Their only loss was the first game of the season against Missouri.

After that, USC won eleven games in a row. This included a huge 56–0 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes. They beat all their Pac-8 opponents. They ended the regular season with a 17–13 win over rival Notre Dame. Evans led USC to a 14–6 victory over Michigan in the 1977 Rose Bowl. He scored a rushing touchdown that gave USC a 7-6 lead before halftime. Evans was named the Player of the Game for his great performance.

In 2022, Vince Evans was honored. He was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.

Professional Football Career

Time with the Chicago Bears

In 1977, the Chicago Bears picked Evans in the sixth round of the 1977 NFL draft. He was the 140th player chosen overall. He was the fourth player the Bears drafted that year. Evans made the team as a backup to Bob Avellini. In his first year, he did not throw any passes. He was used to return kicks, running back 13 kicks for 253 yards. The Bears finished 9–5 and made the playoffs. However, they lost badly to the Dallas Cowboys 37–7.

Evans threw his first NFL pass in 1978. It was late in a game the Bears were losing 40–7 to the San Diego Chargers. He did not play much that year. In 1979, Neill Armstrong became the new head coach. The Bears went 10–6. Evans became the backup ahead of Avellini. In a game against the Vikings, Evans came in and threw his first touchdown pass. He started the next three games, becoming the first African American quarterback to start for the Bears. The Bears lost all three games he started.

In 1980, Evans became the starter in Week 4. He got his first win as a starter against the Detroit Lions. He threw for 172 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a touchdown in the 24-7 win. Evans started the next nine games, and the Bears won 5 of them. On December 7, he had a perfect 158.3 passer rating against the Green Bay Packers. He threw for 316 yards and three touchdowns in a 61-7 win. He finished the season with 2,039 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. He also ran for 8 touchdowns. The team finished 7–9.

In 1981, Evans started all sixteen games. He threw for 2,354 yards with 11 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. The Bears continued to struggle, even with star running back Walter Payton. After the 1981 season, coach Armstrong was fired. Mike Ditka became the new coach. In 1982, the Bears drafted Jim McMahon. Evans became a backup again. He threw only 28 passes that year. In 1983, Evans started three games and played in six others. He threw for 1,108 yards with 5 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He decided to leave the Bears for the USFL in 1984. He later said this was because of his "ego."

Playing in the USFL

Evans did not want to share the starting role with Jim McMahon. He turned down an offer to stay with the Bears. Instead, he joined the United States Football League (USFL). He signed a contract with the Chicago Blitz for a lot of money. This made him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league. The Blitz had new owners and a new coach, Marv Levy.

Evans played only one season for the Blitz in 1984. He completed 200 passes out of 411 attempts. He threw 14 touchdowns but also 22 interceptions. The Blitz finished with 5 wins and 13 losses. The next season, the Blitz team folded. Evans then joined the Denver Gold. He split time playing with Bob Gagliano. Again, he threw more interceptions than touchdowns. The Gold finished with 11 wins and 7 losses. After the 1985 season, the USFL decided to try playing in the fall instead of spring. Because of this, Evans did not play football in 1986.

Joining the Raiders

In 1987, the Los Angeles Raiders needed a quarterback. Their main quarterback, Jim Plunkett, had a shoulder injury. Other quarterbacks like Marc Wilson and Rusty Hilger were not playing well. A players' strike was also about to happen. Evans signed with the Raiders during this time. The strike helped Evans get back into the NFL. He became the first black quarterback to start for the Raiders.

For the next few seasons, Evans remained a backup quarterback. He also helped coach the other players. In 1991, he was the third-string quarterback. In 1992, Evans played a little as the Raiders finished 7–9.

In 1993, the Raiders signed Jeff Hostetler, a hero from the New York Giants. In 1994, at 38 years old, Evans played another season with the Raiders. He re-signed at 39 years old to be a backup. He briefly filled in for Hostetler. He completed both of his passes, including a touchdown pass to Raghib Ismail. The Raiders won that game 24–17 against the Chargers.

In 1995, the Raiders moved back to Oakland. Evans moved with them. Art Shell was fired, and Mike White became the new coach. Hostetler was still the starter. The Raiders also drafted Billy Joe Hobert for the future. 1995 was Evans' last year as a player. Even at 40 years old, Evans started three games for the Raiders. He won 1 game and lost 2. In his first start that season, he led the Raiders to a 30–17 win over the Indianapolis Colts. His next start was against the San Diego Chargers. He threw three interceptions, and the Raiders lost 12–6. Evans started the next week against the Kansas City Chiefs. He threw two interceptions before being replaced by Hobert. This was Evans' last career start. The Raiders lost 29–23. He made a short appearance the next week in a loss to the Denver Broncos.

Life After Football

After leaving football, Vince Evans built a successful career in real estate in Southern California.