University of Arkansas at Monticello linebacker Greggory “Ghee” Evans overcame some adversity to play quite possibly the game of his career to date.
Playing through early-season injuries and a case of strep, Evans strengthened the Boll Weevils’ defense with 4 sacks among his 17 tackles (12 unassisted) in Saturday’s 23-9 win over Southern Nazarene University. The stalwart performance has earned the junior transfer from Waynesboro, Miss., two player of the week accolades this week.
D2Football.com on Tuesday unveiled Evans as its defensive honoree, crediting him with helping a defense that held Southern Nazarene to 238 total yards, collecting 5.5 tackles for a total loss of 13 yards. The 4 sacks resulted in a loss of 10 yards.
The Great American Conference on Monday picked Evans for its Defensive Player of the Week. Evans is the second Boll Weevil in as many weeks to win such an honor from the conference, as Tavion Faulk was named Offensive Player of the Week following his 390-yard, 3-touchdown game in UAM’s come-from-behind win at Arkansas Tech University. The conference called Evans’ play “one of the most dominating performances in Division II this season.”
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“My coaches put up a real good game plan,” said Evans, who revealed he found out his strep diagnosis Friday. “I felt I played OK the first half. Coach Gavin (Burford, linebackers coach) told me to pick it up.”
UAM (2-3 overall and Great American) led 10-6 at halftime when Burford issued his challenge to the 6-foot-2, 230-pound Evans.
“I told him what he could do here when we recruited him,” Burford said. “He has defensive back roots. We knew coming into spring and fall ball what he could do. I told the guys what would happen (when Southern Nazarene was on offense), and we could expose some creases in the run game.”
Evans’ 4 sacks are the most in a single game by a Weevil at least since 2010, when Eugene Robinson recorded 3 as a freshman against Southern Arkansas University.
Evans collected his first sack on a third-and-7 on Southern Nazarene’s first series, leading to a 34-yard field goal that gave the Crimson Storm their only lead.
Heeding Burford’s urging, Evans saw how he could deliver.
“I just look at the offense, and if they have hands on their hips, I smell blood,” Evans said. “Just make the play.”
Evans delivered with a 1-yard sack on second-and-8 on the Crimson Storm’s opening drive of the half, two plays after they had earned a first down. That drive resulted in a punt, and UAM’s Ford Stinson converted a 39-yard field goal on the next possession.
The following series for Southern Nazarene is where Evans really took to the national stage, in a way. The Crimson Storm picked up their third first down of the drive from the 8 after a roughing-the-passer penalty moved the ball to the UAM 19. Evans then sacked the quarterback, tackled for a loss, and stopped a 1-yard gain. That led the Storm’s Kameron Van Prooyen to make his third field goal of the day from 37 yards out, closing the gap to 13-9.
Evans’ fourth sack for a 1-yard loss stopped a Southern Nazarene drive on fourth-and-3 at its own 33 with 3:58 left in the game and a 23-9 Weevil lead.
Van Prooyen went 3 for 3, on his way to becoming the Great American Special Teams co-Player of the Week along with Ethan McBee of Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Stinson, a true freshman, tied a UAM record with 3 made field goals in the game.
It’s been a rewarding week for Evans, a defensive co-captain attending his fourth school in as many years. He started as a cornerback and safety at Nicholls State University, then moved to linebacker at Mississippi Gulf Coast and East Mississippi community colleges before coming to Monticello.
“Like I told all the coaches, these were the first ones to never lie to me,” Evans said, addressing his circuitous route from the Division I Southland Conference to Division II Great American. “Everything they said, they did it.”