FIRST AND SHORT

Oak Creek coach sees former player Evans make Packers

JR Radcliffe
jr.radcliffe@jrn.com

On Saturday, Oak Creek football coach Mike Bartholomew gave a call to his former pupil, Marwin Evans, mere hours removed from Evans becoming an official member of the Green Bay Packers’ 53-man roster.

Green Bay Packers safety Marwin Evans (25) breaks up a pass intended for Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

“He answered his phone right away,” Bartholomew said with a chuckle. “Hasn’t gotten to the point where he’s going to big time me yet. He’s just so laid back, it cracks me up.”

Evans told Bartholomew he had known since 7 a.m. he’d be a part of the team. He’d been too nervous about the looming decision that he hadn’t wanted to drive to Kenosha to see his alma mater play against Kenosha Bradford on Friday night, but by Saturday, everything had returned to its previous chill.

“I asked how it was going and he said, ‘Well, I made the team,’” Bartholomew relayed. “I said, ‘Thank you, I know that. Who’d you call (to celebrate)?’ He said, ‘Nobody.’” He’s just kind of laid back, and he’s a man of few words.”

He has let his play do the talking, and he’s become one of the more remarkable stories in Packers camp as an undrafted free agent who possesses excellent measurables but took a circuitous path to the NFL. He was first-team All Conference as a senior at Oak Creek but not an All-District or All-State selection. He attended two junior colleges before wrapping his career at Utah State, where he earned a degree in sociology and criminal justice.

Bob McGinn of PackersNews.com wrote a lengthy feature on Evans’ story, but even as he demonstrated the talent to compete at safety in the NFL, making the roster was far from a certainty. Among those he was battling for a spot was Kentrell Brice, another undrafted free agent showing big-time potential. It seemed unlikely the Packers would keep both, but they did.

“All the coaches were texting each other, and my oldest son follows the Packers real heavily on Twitter and social media,” Bartholomew said. “When it finally came out that they had kept him on the 53, (it was great), but then, you know you’ve got to get to Monday. That’s when they bring in the guys they want off someone else’s roster.”

Indeed, the Packers claimed a running back on waviers and brought back long snapper Brett Goode. But neither move impacted the safety group. Evans is going be a Green Bay Packer when the season starters Sunday in Jacksonville.

“Big safeties, a 215 to 220 (pound) safety, those guys play linebacker in the nickel,” Bartholomew said. “You can’t have enough guys that can run 4-4 (40-yard dash) and 215 pounds. They keep talking about these hybrid guys, and that’s kind of what Marwin is. Plus, all the special teams things they can do; you just have to have big people that can run.”

Evans was recruited by Utah State when eventual Wisconsin Badgers defensive coordinator (and current LSU coordinator) Dave Aranda was still on the staff. He stuck with the decision to play there through the junior-college experience. Two defenders from Utah State were taken in the 2016 NFL Draft, including Packers third-round choice Kyler Fackrell, but Evans was bypassed, perhaps related to a low score on the Wonderlic intelligence test.

McGinn goes into the reasons why that score was so low, including a misunderstanding about the importance of the test.

“He was a good kid but just kind of did what he needed to do to pass in high school, probably the bare minimum,” Bartholomew said. “Then, he wanted to do college and I remember I had a conversation with him, (saying) ‘Whatever you did in high school, you have to do a 180 to be successful academically.’ All those things he hadn’t done. I doubt it was my advice; all those things were intrinsic with him, but he did what he had to do.”

The “late bloomer” also had the physical tools to play football, and now he’ll get the chance to do it for the hometown team.

“That’s a life changing happening; he’s making it,” Bartholomew said. “He’s got his mind right, too. His mom raised him right. You’re just so happy for him based on everything he’s gone through. Two JCs, waiting his time at Utah State, doing all the right things. When I saw him in the winter, right after he graduated with his degree, he said he was going to chase down the dream, and I said, ‘Go for it, man. You’ve got your degree and a short window to try it.’ I’m sure he went all in, and the rest is history.”