On Campus: Prairie Ridge alum Samson Evans finds his footing with Eastern Michigan

A 4-yard run in the first quarter of a Nov. 11 game against Ball State provided Eastern Michigan’s football team with a positive gain during a scoring drive.

What that run offered EMU sophomore running back Samson Evans was far more valuable.

“That first carry was special,” said Evans, a Prairie Ridge graduate. “I was so excited to start off that game. I might have made a few bad reads just because I was trying to go a hundred miles an hour. That was the first time I was able to hit someone in a long time. Just to be back playing in games is pretty surreal and an awesome feeling.”

Playing at EMU this season has presented Evans a chance to open a new chapter in his career after two seasons at the University of Iowa, where he did not see any game action.

In his first season with the Mid-American Conference’s Eagles, Evans was the team’s third-leading rusher, averaging 4.9 yards per carry in four games for EMU (2-4). In three of the four games he played, Evans averaged at least 5.7 yards a carry. He also scored a fourth-quarter touchdown on the ground in the Eagles’ 53-42 win against Western Michigan on Dec. 5.

Evans was one of only 17 players in the 12-team conference to average at least 50 yards rushing per game during the abbreviated season.

“Even when I was down at times over the past two years, I got to a point (this fall) where I could compete and play again,” Evans said. “I feel energized, and I’ve got a whole new love for the game. I’m grateful for the opportunity to play again. I just needed a fresh start.”

Contributing on the field this season came in spite of a bout with mononucleosis that Evans said lasted nearly 30 days just before the season.

He rushed for a season-high 80 yards against Ball State in a 38-31 loss to the MAC champions on Nov. 11. He contributed 61 yards against WMU and another 54 yards in a season-ending 41-33 win against Northern Illinois on Dec. 12.

“What excites me is the potential we have,” Evans said of EMU, which started 0-4 before posting two wins. “We all enjoy coming in and competing every day. And, we weren’t all healthy at the same time this season.”

Evans also caught six passes for 46 yards for the Eagles, which might lead to an expanded role next fall.

“One thing I always prided myself on growing up was that I had pretty decent hands,” he said. “That definitely helps me get on the field. I do think it could potentially lead to more things down the road. My goal is just to be on the field. It doesn’t matter what the role is, I just want to be on the field.”

Before Evans got to know Eastern Michigan head coach Chris Creighton and running backs coach Sam Sewell, his younger brother Carter forged a relationship while being recruited by the Eagles. Carter Evans will join the program next fall and play defense. (“We could always use another Evans,” Samson Evans said.)

After committing to EMU in May amid the COVID-19 pandemic and not meeting the coaches face to face until he got to campus, Samson Evans said Creighton and Sewell have become a welcome support system.

“They’re always there, rooting me on,” he said. “I couldn’t ask for better coaches. That’s a big part of how I’m feeling and the enjoyment I get out of playing for them.”

· Barry Bottino writes about local college athletes for the Northwest Herald. Write to him at barryoncampus@hotmail.com and follow @BarryOnCampus on Twitter.