When you first talk to Virginia starting strong safety Jerton Evans, he is quick to tell you what his favorite role on the football team is.
"I love to hit," he said with a big smile and a ferocious look in his eyes. "It's what my job is, and I take a lot of pride in it. I'm never going to stop coming after you."
Soft spoken and unintimidating at 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, he might look like just another student sitting beside you in an English class. But if you were to go up against him on the football field, he literally would make you feel differently. Just ask the opponents upon whom he pounds during the regular season.
Evans is the leader of a Cavalier secondary that has improved significantly since he first arrived. Signs that Evans might be a star came in a game at Brigham Young two years ago. In that game, Evans recorded two interceptions - including the game saver at the end of the fourth quarter that led Virginia to a 45-40 win.
"I would have to say the BYU game was my breakout game," Evans said. "I really grabbed everyone's attention that game."
Evans has kept the attention of both players and fans alike ever since, delivering bone-crushing hits that make you wince when you hear them. He does not shy away either, even when he is battling an injury, as he has been since the Maryland game Oct.6.
After making a jarring tackle during the Cavaliers' 41-21 loss, Evans said he felt soreness in his neck that has not yet gone away. But there is no way Evans is going to stay out of a game.
"My neck hurts a little bit," Evans said with an icepack taped to his neck. "But it doesn't affect how I play. It won't affect how I play. I am still going to hit hard. It just hurts a little bit, that's all."
It's that kind of aggressive effort that has earned him a tough and unrelenting reputation. Sometimes, though, Evan's fierceness gets him in trouble, according to Virginia coach Al Groh.
Evans "can really hit some people hard," Groh said. "He has the mentality of linebacker while he plays the safety position. If he tries to be too aggressive, he will get caught [missing a] pass coverage."
Evans makes it known that he loves to move too close to the line and cheat a little bit at times, but he mentioned in his defense that he hasn't gotten beaten on a long pass yet.
"There was one time I messed up and left a tight end wide open," he said. "But the quarterback didn't throw him the ball so I was okay. Coach got after me though."
But that might be the only thing that Evans needs to improve. He is a natural leader and can dominate running backs - even all by himself at times. He has been compared to 1999 Virginia graduate Anthony Poindexter, who also was known as a devastating tackler before he went out with a knee injury his senior year.
Although Evans said that his style of play might be somewhat similar to Poindexter, he stressed that physically they are rather different.
Poindexter "was a good bit bigger than me," Evans said. "He was taller too, but I think I can get like that."
Evans has his mind on becoming bigger and better in the next year. When he talks about the future he beams with confidence.
"I am only at 195 [pounds] now," he said. "But by next year I will be at 210. I won't lose any speed either. I'm going to be fast. Really fast."
If he holds to his word, you should feel sorry for the running backs and receivers that get hit by Evans next season. Really sorry.
Read More
Virginia baseball falters, drops series to NC State
By Jacob Tisdale | YesterdayVirginia dropped a crucial ACC series, endangering a top seed in the conference tournament.
Women’s lacrosse upset in season-ending defeat against Florida
By Matthew Ryeom | YesterdayThe Cavaliers kept it close until the fourth quarter, where they ultimately came up short.
No. 6 men’s lacrosse trumps Saint Joseph’s 17-11 as Cormier breaks NCAA scoring record
By Ben Istvan | 2 days agoThe Cavaliers snapped their four-game losing streak with a comfortable win over the Hawks.
