Son of former Sooner heading to OU for football
BY ERIC BAILEY World Sports Writer
Tuesday, February 05, 2013
2/05/13 at 5:55 AM
National Signing Day is Wednesday,
when high school players
across the country sign letters
of intent to attend the college of
their choice. This will be home to
all of the World’s coverage as local
players make their decisions.
Jordan Evans seemed destined to play football at Oklahoma.
The Norman North star is extremely familiar with the Sooners. His father Scott was a three-time all-conference defensive tackle (1988-90) at OU.
When many scholarship offers rolled in - including a late November opportunity from Oklahoma - the 17-year-old didn't feel pressure from Scott Evans regarding which school to pick.
"Even though Dad went to OU and people thought I wanted to go in his footsteps, he supported me fully, 100 percent," Evans said. "He wanted me to make my own decision."
On Wednesday, Evans will build a father-son legacy at OU when he signs a letter of intent with the Sooners.
He will join current Sooners Kendal Thompson and Sterling Shepard in following in their father's footsteps.
"To a lot of people, playing at OU is a huge deal," said Evans. "I'm from Norman and I get to go to a top school across the street."
Evans (6-foot-3, 205 pounds) had 94 tackles and nine sacks in his 2012 senior season.
He returned five kicks for touchdowns (including one in each playoff game before the state championship game against Jenks). He returned 14 kickoffs for an average of 43 yards per attempt.
"He could just take over games," Norman North coach Wade Standley said. "I've seen R.W. McQuarters, Rocky Calmus ... Jordan has some special things ahead of him."
Standley's hiring two years ago at Norman North appears to have helped Evans' career. The player was moved from cornerback to linebacker before his junior year. He had 87 stops and two sacks in 2011.
He received scholarship offers from Indiana, New Mexico, Ohio, Colorado State UNLV and Tulsa. The Air Force Academy and Navy wanted him.
OU came through with a scholarship opportunity in the days before Norman North's championship game against Jenks.
"I think he wanted that offer, but it caught him off-guard," Scott Evans said. "He decided to take a couple of days and not rush into anything."
Standley helped Jordan Evans make his final decision with a simple question: "Who is going to come in and offer you a scholarship that you'd take over OU?"
The next day, Evans called all of his recruiters to tell them he was going to OU.
He's looking forward to staying close to home. The Evans household is a tight bunch.
"There are always positives and negatives to everything," Jordan Evans said. "I grew up here my whole life and there was the chance to go out and see something new.
"But here, I get to stay close to home and be near my mom and dad. I get to see my sisters (Jacie, 12, and Jessika, 11) grow up. Being at Oklahoma, the positives outweigh the negatives."
Scott Evans was asked his feelings when his son races onto Owen Field for the first time.
"I've thought about that a lot," Scott Evans said. "I'm not sure it won't be emotional. I know how hard he's worked. He's wanted the opportunity to play at this level.
"When I sit back and think about how he's grown and matured and become the football player and student that he is, it's hard not to smile. I'm extremely proud of him."
Original Print Headline: Sooners get another football legacy in Evans
Eric Bailey 918-581-8391
eric.bailey@tulsaworld.com
