Lee Evans is an eight year veteran who prior to this season, had played his entire career in Buffalo. He has tremendous speed and has always been primarily thought of as a deep threat, challenging defensive backs down the field and averaging 15.8 yards per reception over his career. He has always been well-respected by his teammates for leading by example on and off the field. He was named a team captain in 2009 and after seven seasons, he was traded to Baltimore this year.
Now that Evans, 30, has been able to accomplish so much on the football field, he’s taking the time to experience new things off the field. This past offseason, Evans took a trip to India with his family and some friends from Buffalo. He called the vacation a “culture shock” after seeing the wide range of lifestyles from extreme poverty to the richest of the rich. One of India’s proudest pieces of their heritage is their food. Evans spoke about how wonderful all of the food was and the fantastic seasonings that they put on everything. He enjoyed sampling the full range of Indian cuisine, including curries, chicken, lamb, and prawns. Evans looks forward to traveling abroad more, and has Africa and the Mediterranean high on his list.
Clearly football has opened many doors for Evans and his family. He feels it’s important to be open to different cultures and ways of doing things, no matter what walk of life you come from. This pertains to football as well, because a team is comprised of 53 individuals who all come from different backgrounds and to be successful, everyone has to find some common ground.
Evans has also used his football success to create an outlet for giving back to the community. The charity he was involved with during the offseason is called “Ohio Homecoming.” It’s a three-day festival of events intended to raise money for renovations of Martin Luther High school, including concerts, a celebrity flag football game, and a battle of the bands. He was excited that people from the community were willing to get involved and come out to support the kids.
Evans could walk away from football today and be proud of what he’s accomplished throughout his career. Fortunately for the 9-3 Baltimore Ravens, he’s as hungry as ever to get on the field and help his team win a championship. His trade from Buffalo has actually positioned him with a better opportunity to make a Super Bowl run this season, while the Bills have been hit with a rash of injuries and fallen to 5-7, on the verge of playoff elimination. And while he continues to focus his efforts on the field in pursuit of that elusive Lombardi Trophy, he’s taking advantage of every opportunity to venture out and experience the world from a new perspective.
