2021 Countdown to Kickoff: 94 Days (James Evans)

Written by Amanda Pavelka (@amandapavelka3) 

It has been 151 days we have lived without Hoosier football, and there are only 94 more to go. In his 5th year as head coach of IU football, Tom Allen and the Hoosiers will head to Iowa City to take on the Hawkeyes on September 4th. Today’s a double feature day, and first up is James Evans. 

Name: James Evans

Position: Punter (Freshman)

Hometown: Auckland, New Zealand (Sacred Heart College Auckland) 

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 222 pounds

Hailing from Auckland, New Zealand, James Evans made the decision to move 8,161 miles away from home to kick off his college football career at IU. Without having stepped foot in the United States due to pandemic travel restrictions, joined the Indiana football squad officially and moved to Bloomington this Spring. 

In January 2020, Evans took his talents to ProKick Academy in Australia which prepared him to play as a collegiate level punter. Like most athletes across the world, Evans has never played American football— he played rugby and squash in high school. His biggest mission since he has been in Bloomington is to learn the rules of the game. Under Special teams Coach Kasey Teegardin, Evans is making great progress.

“The first time he ever wore pads was practice three.” Teegardin explained. “You kind of take it for granted….We are having to take him day by day, step by step. He is learning a ton. This spring is so important and valuable to get him to mid-year is a huge deal.”

Evans will replace Haydon Whitehead, who also trained at ProKick Academy, and helped him prepare for his move to America and the adjustment to the culture and American football. 

James describes himself as “more as a traditional pocket punter although I'm comfortable with all the different style of punts whether it be spirals, roll outs or going in kicks.”

“He comes in and has a big leg and we expect a lot out of him.” Teegardin said. “The videos of Evans kicking shows that he is a two-step punter and can boom the ball down field, or into the nets on the ceiling of Indiana’s indoor facility.”