Rashaan Evans' chance comes as playoff arrives
Teammates and coaches told Rashaan Evans to be patient. The linebacker didn’t win a starting job going into his junior year. The end of the season was coming. He had a role on defense, but it wasn’t the role he had hoped for.
His teammates knew what it was like to wait to play. Fellow linebackers Reuben Foster, Ryan Anderson and Tim Williams were among those who helped him look beyond his limited role.
“As a player, you just really have to think of the bigger picture,” Evans said. “This whole thing is a lot bigger than just you and any other player that feels the same way I do. So that’s kind of the mentality that I have to have. Once I had that, as you can see, your chances will come. You just got to wait your turn.”
Evans’ time has come. Inside linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton suffered a knee injury in the SEC championship game that will sideline him for the rest of the season. That opens a spot next to Foster in Alabama’s defense.
Head coach Nick Saban said on Friday that the job wouldn’t fall to Evans automatically. But he’ll get the first shot at it.
“That’s the guy that has the best opportunity to do it,” Saban said. “He did a nice job in the last game. He’s played the most, he’s got the most experience. We have a lot of confidence in him. Hopefully, he’ll be able to go out there during these weeks and really get confident in what he’s doing and go out there and do a great job for us. Physically, he can run. He’s a good blitzer. He’s a good tackler. So hopefully knowledge and experience is something that we can gain through this extra practice and it’ll be helpful to him so that he can play well.”
Evans worked with the first team defense during the media viewing periods as Alabama began its preparation for Washington this week.
He still has work to do. Florida targeted him early after he entered the game to replace Hamilton. He says he gave up one play early, but has since watched it on film to learn from his mistake. Later, he exploded through the line to stuff Gator running back Jordan Scarlett on third and goal as the Alabama defense kept Florida out of the end zone.
He’s taken steps forward from where he was at the start of the season, when he moved from outside linebacker to inside. The practice leading up to the playoff game gives him even more time to develop.
“My whole time that I was being a backup, that’s all I was doing is just learning the plays and stuff,” Evans said. “Now I actually got a chance to be on the field and actually play.”
The same teammates who helped keep his spirits up during the season like what they see from him now. They were right – Evans did get his chance. They hope he proves they were right to have confidence in him, too.
“He’s embracing it well, getting in extra film (work), working hard — effort,” Foster said. “The toughness is already there. I ought to know, I play with him.”
They’ve seen what he can do in practice and when called upon in big games before. He had a breakout game against Clemson in last year’s national championship, when he had three tackles and two sacks. It took time for his opportunity to arrive in 2015. Now his chance to follow it up is here.
“I’m embracing this moment a lot,” Evans said. “Whenever I get out on the field anytime – regardless if it’s the championship game or not, man – I try to do my best. Just with this game upcoming, I’m going to try to do the same thing I’ve been doing.”
Reach Ben Jones at ben@tidesports.com or 205-722-0196.