2022 Aggie Impact Gala Honoree
For an athlete who did not play football until his senior year of high school, Mike Evans has become one of the most consistent wide receivers in the NFL. Currently in his ninth season, Evans was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round (seventh overall) in 2014. Evans is the only player in NFL history to start his career with eight consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and just the sixth all-time to have 1,000 yards in eight consecutive seasons during their career, joining Jerry Rice, Tim Brown, Torry Holt, Cris Carter and Marvin Harrison. He holds the Buccaneers franchise record for most touchdowns scored (76 entering the 2022 season). In addition, Evans also holds the Buccaneers’ all-time franchise records for receptions, receiving yards, touchdown catches, and 100-yard receiving games. Evans has four seasons of double-digit touchdown receptions, with his career-high of 14 coming in the most recent 2021 season.
Mike Evans redshirted the 2011 season but made his case as one of the best wide receivers in Texas A&M history during his 2012 and 2013 campaigns. In 2013, Evans was named an AP First-Team All-American, a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award and a semifinalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. Evans holds the top two spots in Texas A&M history for most receiving yards in a single game with his 2013 games against Auburn and Alabama, posting 287 and 279 yards respectively.
In addition to his success on the field, Mike and his wife Ashli have four children: Mackenzie, Ariah, Amari, and Aliyah. Mike and Ashli have continued to increase their philanthropic efforts throughout their communities. The Evans started the Mike Evans Family Foundation in December of 2017 with the vision of helping children by providing them with opportunities to make their dreams a reality. The foundation also works with women and families who have been affected by domestic violence. Since the foundation’s inception, over $250,000 has been awarded in scholarships, hundreds of children have taken part in holiday events, the Catch for Kids program was developed to tie Mike’s on-field performance to donations in the community, and so much more. Born and raised in Galveston, Texas, Mike consistently gives back to his hometown in addition to Tampa Bay and College Station.
