bama alum
Member
Evans is facing a lot of pressure to stay at home. He addresses that in this interview:
You mention people wanting you to be the âhometown hero,â but even if you choose Auburn, you wonât automatically be that guy, right?...
Evans: âThatâs the thing. Letâs say I did go to Auburn, it would be like high school all over again, like I got a microscope on me because Iâm here. Everybody here that is involved with football, they know me. The fact I came out of Auburn High School and I were to go to Auburn, I have no other choice but to be successful. It would almost be like people would see me as a disgrace to Auburn if I were to not be like everybody plans to make me. Theyâre really putting me on a pedestal right now. Theyâre like âWeâre giving you the fame, the features, all this. Donât screw up.â Itâs a lot of pressure, man. Itâs a lot of pressure.â
Do you feel there would be that kind of pressure if you chose Alabama?
Evans: âYeah. I donât think it would be as much, but at the same time Iâm in Alabama. I got other family members that are in Alabama, too. Theyâre waiting on that decision, too. Theyâre waiting to see if he can go against the grain, do something different. A lot of people are like, âYou can change Alabamaâs defense. You can be that guy they never had, that pass-rusher, the guy who can get to the quarterback.â Thatâs what a lot of people are looking for me to do. ⊠To be honest with you, I think a little bit with UCLA people. Thereâs not really a lot of UCLA fans here, but some people are like, âMaybe he can do something different. Maybe he could be that guy who actually took a risk, went out there to UCLA and took over.â Thereâs a lot less pressure there. Every time I have a conversation with Auburn coaches and Alabama coaches, they really look at me and say this: âDonât be afraid to go to either one of us, donât be afraid to go to either one of us and then go to UCLA and itâs not really where you want to go.â They know I got pressure on me. Itâs obvious to everybody. Every time I do get a lecture on the school I should be going to, they all, at the end of the conversation theyâre like, âOK, make the best decision for you,â but at the same time they always end it with âWar Eagleâ or âRoll Tide.â Theyâre still going to sell it, but at the same time they know the pressure thatâs on me. They want to sell it to me, but at the same time they donât want to put me under so much pressure to where itâs, âOh, youâre just selling. Youâre not caring about my decisions or where Iâm coming from.â They want to have both, the best of both worlds. I think my whole situation is kind of like Reuben (Foster)âs, but different in many ways. But just the pressure thing, itâs about the same, to be honest with you, for me, because a lot of people are riding on me for this decision. It will be very interesting these next few weeks to see what happens.â
You mention people wanting you to be the âhometown hero,â but even if you choose Auburn, you wonât automatically be that guy, right?...
Evans: âThatâs the thing. Letâs say I did go to Auburn, it would be like high school all over again, like I got a microscope on me because Iâm here. Everybody here that is involved with football, they know me. The fact I came out of Auburn High School and I were to go to Auburn, I have no other choice but to be successful. It would almost be like people would see me as a disgrace to Auburn if I were to not be like everybody plans to make me. Theyâre really putting me on a pedestal right now. Theyâre like âWeâre giving you the fame, the features, all this. Donât screw up.â Itâs a lot of pressure, man. Itâs a lot of pressure.â
Do you feel there would be that kind of pressure if you chose Alabama?
Evans: âYeah. I donât think it would be as much, but at the same time Iâm in Alabama. I got other family members that are in Alabama, too. Theyâre waiting on that decision, too. Theyâre waiting to see if he can go against the grain, do something different. A lot of people are like, âYou can change Alabamaâs defense. You can be that guy they never had, that pass-rusher, the guy who can get to the quarterback.â Thatâs what a lot of people are looking for me to do. ⊠To be honest with you, I think a little bit with UCLA people. Thereâs not really a lot of UCLA fans here, but some people are like, âMaybe he can do something different. Maybe he could be that guy who actually took a risk, went out there to UCLA and took over.â Thereâs a lot less pressure there. Every time I have a conversation with Auburn coaches and Alabama coaches, they really look at me and say this: âDonât be afraid to go to either one of us, donât be afraid to go to either one of us and then go to UCLA and itâs not really where you want to go.â They know I got pressure on me. Itâs obvious to everybody. Every time I do get a lecture on the school I should be going to, they all, at the end of the conversation theyâre like, âOK, make the best decision for you,â but at the same time they always end it with âWar Eagleâ or âRoll Tide.â Theyâre still going to sell it, but at the same time they know the pressure thatâs on me. They want to sell it to me, but at the same time they donât want to put me under so much pressure to where itâs, âOh, youâre just selling. Youâre not caring about my decisions or where Iâm coming from.â They want to have both, the best of both worlds. I think my whole situation is kind of like Reuben (Foster)âs, but different in many ways. But just the pressure thing, itâs about the same, to be honest with you, for me, because a lot of people are riding on me for this decision. It will be very interesting these next few weeks to see what happens.â
