Former Bulldog and NFL player Demetric Evans ready to walk the walk
Demetric Evans and his wife Dr. Aungel Evans pose after UGA's graduation ceremonies Friday at Stegeman Coliseum. (Photo provided by Demetric Evans)
ATHENS — For years Demetric Evans has talked the talk. Now he’s ready to walk the walk.
The graduation walk, specifically.
It has been 11 years almost exactly since Evans last attended classes at UGA and played football for the Georgia Bulldogs. A defensive end, he bolted town immediately following his senior season and spent nine years playing ball in the NFL. But since leaving Athens in December of 2000, Evans vowed to return one day to walk in graduation ceremonies.
Today, Evans will be in Stegeman Coliseum along with nine other current and former football players, 27 student-athletes overall and more than 1,700 fellow graduates to do just that. Evans has earned his UGA degree in child and family development from the College of Family & Consumer Sciences.
“It’s something I always expected to do, but it’s a good thing I’m getting it behind me now,” said Evans, a native of Haynesville, La.
For Evans, getting here was no small undertaking, literally and figurative. Start with the fact that he currently resides in Walnut Creek, Calif. Then there was that whole matter of finding and enrolling in classes and that would transfer to UGA.
For that, Evans offers a special thanks to Connie Rash, the director of student services for UGA’s College of Family & Consumer Sciences.
Evans completed the coursework he needed – about one year’s worth — at San Jose State. On Thursday, Evans flew to Atlanta from San Francisco along with his wife and young son and a small entourage of people that included his financial adviser, his agent and some friends and family.
“I’ve got a gang of people who are going to be there,” he said proudly. “We’re going to have a house full.”
Asked why he’d go to such trouble and expense, Evans laughed.
“Well, it’s something that I earned,” he said. “It’s something that I promised myself when I was in high school being recruited to become a college athlete. Playing football is great. But that’s the only thing that would empower me as an individual, a degree.”
It’s not as though Evans is desperate for a job. His last contract with the San Francisco 49ers, which expired at the end of the 2010 season, paid him $3.8 million. Also, his wife, Dr. Aungel Evans, is an OB-GYN practicing medicine in California. They live on the West Coast but have a permanent residence is in Dallas, Texas.
But then again, Evans has always done the unexpected. When he graduated from Haynesville High in rural Louisiana as one of the top prospects in the state, he signed with Georgia rather than follow the herd to LSU. With the Bulldogs, he started only three games and wasn’t given much of a chance in the NFL. But he made the Dallas Cowboys’ roster as an undrafted free agent and played nine NFL seasons.
Effectively retired now at age 32, Evans many expected him to kick back and play a lot of golf. Instead, he has chose to finish his undergrad work and now is contemplating pursuing a Masters.
“I want to change people’s lives, because I grew up in a small town in a single-parent home where getting a college degree and playing in the NFL seemed unachievable,” Evans said. “Not only have I finished my degree, but I played in the NFL for three times the life expectancy of the average player. I’m an example of what hard work and dedication can bring.”
While in the NFL, Evans founded the “92 Blessings Foundation.” Named for the jersey he wore most of his football career, he would select 92 families each to assist with food and gifts during the holidays.
Now he envisions a new mission.
“I’m hoping to improve the literacy rate,” he said. “I want to raise funds to start an after-school program in my hometown for under-privileged kids, and all kids really, to prepare for the ACT and SAT and to get tutoring for classes they’re struggling in so they can increase their GPA and compete for college scholarships.”
As for his own future, Evans is not sure yet exactly what’s in store.
“That’s the blessing of it, that I don’t have to rush to figure out what’s next,” Evans said. “My time is up in the NFL. I enjoyed each moment and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. But now it’s on to a new adventure.”
PLAYING DAYS
- Evans played in 38 games for the Bulldogs but made only three starts as he was at Georgia at the same time as Richard Seymour, Marcus Stroud, Charles Grant and Josh Mallard.
- He finished his UGA career with 86 tackles, 2 sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss.
- Evans played nine NFL seasons, three at Dallas, four at Washington and two at San Francisco. Again, he was mainly a backup but played regularly. He finished with 174 tackles and 14.5 sacks.
– Chip Towers
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208 comments Add your comment
DawginLex
December 16th, 2011
11:33 am
I got baited by that idiot yellow fuzz.
Anyone would do the same
You are a liar
TallaDawg
December 16th, 2011
11:36 am
Trex @ 8:54
Give people a chance to respond. I believe that you now see the very positive comments that are on here.
Thank you Mr. Evans for being a good role model and a DGD!!
GTBob
December 16th, 2011
11:37 am
I got baited by that idiot yellow fuzz.
Oh, you were baited into being a troll. Now you know how I feel.
WDE
December 16th, 2011
11:41 am
Great story and DGD!! Congrats to Mr.Evans and all the Grads!!
DawginLex
December 16th, 2011
11:42 am
I stopped TROLLING
You are getting a PHD in it
Today's AJC headlines...
December 16th, 2011
11:43 am
“Anti-cancer vaccine developed by UGA researchers” – na-na, boo-boo….you Techies…
WDE
December 16th, 2011
11:43 am
@DawginLex who are you talking to?? The ghost of GTB??
What
December 16th, 2011
11:51 am
He took his classes at San Jose St but is going to walk the isle at UGA?????????? How does that happen???
DawginLex
December 16th, 2011
11:52 am
WDE
GTBob got his wittle feelings hurt because his own Tech folks have thrown him under the bus and defended me.
Ironic, huh?
WDE
December 16th, 2011
11:55 am
@DawginLex just another example of truth, justice and the American way prevailing over evil. Well played !
CPJ-WET HIS PANTS DURING GAMES
December 16th, 2011
11:56 am
GTBob go make your husband dinner.
DawgSinceBirth
December 16th, 2011
11:58 am
FACTS: How about 6 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS in Football: 1927, 1942 (consensus, 1946, 1966, 1968, 1980 (consensus)….)….Basketball FINAL FOUR 1983, and NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP in Baseball 1990…you conveniently omitted that one, uh?
Get your “facts” straight, brother!
Go Dawgs!
GT Bob turns 2.
December 16th, 2011
11:58 am
everyone quit replying to GT Bob. He obliviously is a loser and jerk. Just ignore him.
Tech Troll 13
December 16th, 2011
12:05 pm
Congratulations to the young man on finishing his degree, but I did have the same response as What.
For the recor, JB “fired the first shot” at Tech for no apparent reason. For someone who “doesn’t think much about Tech”, he certainly says a lot.
BTW I’m not miserable or an idiot and pround to be a nerd.
BG
December 16th, 2011
12:07 pm
Congrats! Evans is a DGD.
GTBob
December 16th, 2011
12:11 pm
GTBob got his wittle feelings hurt because his own Tech folks have thrown him under the bus and defended me.
lol. DawginLex is going to go to every blog begging everyone to say he is a nice guy. This is getting entertaining.
GulfShoresDawg
December 16th, 2011
12:11 pm
Congratulations! what a fine example of a young man!
ARdawg
December 16th, 2011
12:12 pm
Tech Troll
“BTW I’m not miserable or an idiot and pround to be a nerd.”
Good on you. Everybody on the blogs for the most part are just regular folks like yourself. Your moniker not withstanding trollish behavior such as GT Bob’s should be condemned on any blog. It is just hate filled vitriol with the sole purpose of a negative reaction. This makes any “civil discourse” or dialogue near impossible. If JB or any other Dawg fan was doing it in the Nerd blogs, please understand most Dawg fans stand in support of you and the other nerdettes over there. Trolling behavior should be admonished where ever it is found
UGAgrad71
December 16th, 2011
12:12 pm
AS far as I am concerned, GTBob is a red-headed-step-child to be beaten like a drum every time he posts on this blog. Good luck dodging bullets and bodies on the Tech campus.
GA Tech mom
December 16th, 2011
12:16 pm
Contrats should be given to any athlete who goes back and complets his degree no matter the school.
As per whether Tech is global… it most definetely is. My son along with 6 others are getting PhD’s paid for by NASA. I wonder how many UGA kids won that scholarship…probably 0. My sons inventions will likely end up in Space. I wonder how many UGA grads can say that.
GTBob
December 16th, 2011
12:20 pm
Thanks UGAgrad71, ill add that to my growing insult list. Anybody else have any more?
ARdawg
December 16th, 2011
12:23 pm
**Doesn’t feed trolls**
GTBob
December 16th, 2011
12:23 pm
This makes any “civil discourse” or dialogue near impossible
When have you ever wanted to have civil discourse? You have never been that bad but you get your shots in too. Although you do make stuff up out of the blue.
TampaDawg
December 16th, 2011
12:27 pm
Hey Lex, the best thing about that post you mentioned from Supersize is that a) he is a pretty classy GT guy also, b) he calls the hateful trolls out, and c) he’s been around these blogs a LONG time so he knows the riff raff from the real deals.
WDE
December 16th, 2011
12:32 pm
@GA Tech mom http://www.ajc.com/news/anti-cancer-vaccine-developed-1261883.html yeah we got a few things cooking.
GTBob
December 16th, 2011
12:33 pm
TampaDawg, and d) he already acknowledged that DawginLex used to be a pretty big troll. He is just more forgiving then I am.
Let the Big Dawg Eat!
December 16th, 2011
12:34 pm
Congratulations, and Merry Christmas.
Go Dawgs!
ARdawg
December 16th, 2011
12:38 pm
GT Bob
I have never made anything up, ever. I don’t have to. I have given you kudos in the past as recent as earlier this year as a reasonable Tech fan worthy of discussion. Then you changed almost overnight into a troll. You went from being a seemingly “okay” guy and a good contributor on the boards to a troll. You wife left you, your alcoholism got worse, I dunno but, you changed. Hopefully, one day you’ll see the light and change back. Your hatred and and jealousy of all things UGA is glaringly evident. You should get a life, seriously.
I hate you Nerds one week out of the year. The rest of the year I don’t like you very much but I tolerate you just like any other opposition fans. There are many Tech fans with class and I hold those guys in the highest of regard. Currently, you are not one of them.
Sure, I am always going to take shots at GT fans. It’s what I do but, They will never be trollish or hateful. I have a few bad family members and a few good friends who are nerd fans. I get you
DawginLex
December 16th, 2011
12:43 pm
Supersize that order, mutt
December 16th, 2011
11:46 am
GTBob, sorry, bubba, but when somebody attacks an innocent person, then I stand up for him or her. I don’t know why you have an axe to grind with Lex, but he is one of the nicest and classiest and most informed posters on here, even if he is a dawg. So no, I will not stay out of it. I HATE UGA as much as anybody, but even I recognize the fact that all their fans are not ignorant trash-talking azholes
Supersize that order, mutt
December 16th, 2011
11:52 am
GTBob, I have been on these blogs for at least 3 years, and YES, I do remember the “old” Lex, but I promise you he has changed, and changed considerably. I guess that’s why what you have been saying bothers me so much, because he really has turned into a class act over the past year. If you are remembering the past, then all I can say is try to forgive and give him a chance to prove to you that he has indeed changed.
************************
You see Tampa, when you deal with a liar who is proven to be one, all he has left is personal attacks to cover up his own inadequacies. I never admitted to being a troll. Another lie. I admitted to being baited by yellow fuzz and getting into a urination contest with him.
Twisting the truth and straight out lying are all part of the agenda from GTBob.
I have exposed it for what it is and for who he is. Some of his own Tech folks have exposed him and complimented me and he can’t stand it, so he resorts to personal attacks.
I don’t care what he posts, what he believes or what he thinks of me.
He is a liar.
TampaDawg
December 16th, 2011
12:44 pm
I saw Supersize’s response. He is a great guy on these blogs, an occasional jab of course but that’s to be expected. Like many of the GT friends I know personally, a good classy person.
Being forgiving is never a bad thing and honestly is one of the top people skills anyone can learn.
TampaDawg
December 16th, 2011
12:47 pm
You mean like this lie Lex?
GTBob
December 16th, 2011
12:11 pm
GTBob got his wittle feelings hurt because his own Tech folks have thrown him under the bus and defended me.
lol. DawginLex is going to go to every blog begging everyone to say he is a nice guy. This is getting entertaining.
—————————
TampaDawg
December 16th, 2011
12:51 pm
Follow your own advice dude, don’t give him a talking point so its more like he is typing just to be typing. He never brings one ounce of credibility or class, not one shred of decency, and sure as heck hasn’t actually talked football in who knows how long so it’s obvious he is on here for one purpose and that’s to be a jerk. If a troll is a jerk in the middle of the forest, and no one is listening, does he really matter?
DawginLex
December 16th, 2011
12:52 pm
He finished the degree because he wanted to, not because he needs one. And he finished it somewhere else so he might have learned something.
Plus UGA classes probably don’t transfer well to other schools.
************
Other GTBob gems.
DawginLex
December 16th, 2011
12:54 pm
I’m out. See y’all later
DawgInaTruck
December 16th, 2011
12:55 pm
Bob I get a kick out of most of your posts; I really do.
However, you are fighting a losing batle on this one. You will have to face one reality of life on this blog: DawginLex is popular here because his posts indicate someone of intelligence and he is as loyal a Dawg as any of us.
You can pound away but, the sooner you admit the truth to yourself, the better off you’ll be. Onward and upward fella.
TampaDawg
December 16th, 2011
12:56 pm
Yeah, another one that he can’t back up but it sounds funny to him so he runs it. I tried to repost your QUESTION on here so the rest of them can see the lie that Bobby posted saying you’re begging on other blogs. Filters keep killing the post from the GT side.
David Granger
December 16th, 2011
1:10 pm
Damn Good Dawg, Demetric…and a damn hard-working one, too. Congratulations, and I’m sure you’re be on your way to more success!
Dawglasville
December 16th, 2011
1:14 pm
Congrats Demetric. I love the part of the story about you sticking with it and making the Cowboys and continuing to draw an NFL check for 9 years. That speaks volumes about your mental toughness. Great story.
GT Bob – Why don’t we start fresh? Let’s say 2012 we all try to be kinder on each others sights. Maybe talk about sports. Just a tip to all: if you start to type the words, “redneck” or “nerd” you are starting to get off course.
Buckhead Bulldog
December 16th, 2011
1:21 pm
Great article Chip!
BreakingNews
December 16th, 2011
1:21 pm
GTBob:
You are a prime example of why I hate all things Tech. Why can’t you just applaud a guy for hard work and finishing his degree, instead of taking shots at every detail of the story? I don’t care what college the guy attended, its a good story. I guess you have to take your cheap shots at the school that absolutely OWNS your football program, though. Here’s hoping you get a life for Christmas this year!
Paul in NH
December 16th, 2011
1:28 pm
Congratulations to Evans – nice to see perseverence and commitment rewarded.
Paul in NH
December 16th, 2011
1:29 pm
Looks like GTBob is making a late and likely successful run for the “Headley Lamar Troll of the Year Award”
dawgdip
December 16th, 2011
1:35 pm
Congratulations Super job on not giving up even with life going quite well for you.
GaDawg
December 16th, 2011
1:36 pm
@ Facts
Rhodes Scholars
GT: 3
UGA 22
Stadium Size
Grant Field: 55,000
Sanford Stadium: 92,000 plus
Rankings of Top Schools in Merchandise Sales for 1st fiscal qtr 2011-2012
GT: 47
UGA: 5
GT is a National Brand??
lardawg
December 16th, 2011
1:45 pm
What a great story! Thanks for this kind of journalism! So much better than the Penn St and Syracuse! So much better than the Vick stuff and the Hurd stuff, although glad that Vick seems to have turned it around! Jesus is my hero, but I have a lot of second places. Mr. Evans is there.
Music City Dawg
December 16th, 2011
1:49 pm
What makes UGA so darn wonderful are the type of folks like Mr Evan here that go to this school and finish the drill ! Congrats Mt Evans on your achievement!!!
Auburn Jacket
December 16th, 2011
1:56 pm
As for who started all this… look at the 6th post from Dawg Nation
“…Wait for it. Wait for it. A Tech idiot will be on here soon to make a joke about his degree.”
Didn’t happen. And from another Tech grad, congratulations on finishing your degree.
GTBob
December 16th, 2011
2:01 pm
You mean like this lie Lex?
You are right, DawginLex hasn’t gone to the Jeff Schultz blog yesterday, or the GT blog yesterday, or the GT blog today trying to get approval from everyone. I must have imagined that.
GTBob
December 16th, 2011
2:12 pm
Looks like GTBob is making a late and likely successful run for the “Headley Lamar Troll of the Year Award”
Paul, you are a GT fan right? Can you say something nice about DawginLex? It would really help his self esteem.
docdawg
December 16th, 2011
2:19 pm
Class act, and congratulations!!