Akiem Hicks: Mike Evans Is Gold Jacket Man, Both On And Off The Field
January 3rd, 2023
Big fan of Mike Evans.
Joe thought this was really cool.
So after the win by the Bucs on Sunday where Mike Evans totally blew up, to Joe, that was the story. Evans snapped out of his month’s-long touchdown slump with three while adding 207 yards receiving.
Hard to believe, but his ninth-straight 1,000-yard receiving season was overshadowed by the great game.
Joe spoke with Rachaad White about Evans and White’s response was, “Hand him a gold jacket.”
(For those unaware, inductees to the Pro Football Hall of Fame are awarded gold jackets.)
Joe also talked to defensive tackle Akiem Hicks. He’s seen a lot of football in his 11 NFL years. So Joe wanted his perspective.
“I’ve always been impressed with Mike, even from a distance when I had to play against him,” Hicks began. “I found him to be one of the top receivers in the league, in my opinion, and I’ve seen a lot of football.
“You don’t get too many guys like that every day so I have a lot of respect for him as a player.”
But a big reason Hicks is such a fan of Evans is how he is off the field. In Hicks’ eyes, Evans is a Hall of Fame human being.
Joe told Hicks what White had said about Evans and Hicks’ face lit up.
“Straight up!” Hicks said. “But what about his character? How he carries himself? He’s not a diva. I have a lot of respect for him as both a player and a person.”
That says it all about Evans and why his teammates embrace him so much. Let’s just put it this way: Joe never heard any former teammate say that about Antonio Brown.
January 3rd, 2023 at 12:03 am
In contention for Best.Buccaneer.Ever.
January 3rd, 2023 at 12:03 am
Mike Evans I mean. Not Hicks.
January 3rd, 2023 at 12:05 am
In markets where they don’t have any real newspapers (like this market) and no legacy reporters like Ira, who is making the arguments for players?
January 3rd, 2023 at 12:05 am
A pros pro. On and off the field. Now fingers crossed that someone with a contradictory poster name doesn’t try to hijack this thread as well.
January 3rd, 2023 at 12:08 am
Mike Evans has made a career out of making BAD QBs look ALL PRO. Not a knock-on Brady though, just FACTS about Mike Evans! Just Trow the Man The Damm Ball, HE IS ALWAYS OPEN!!!
HOF first Ballot if he carry’s the Bucs to another Super Bowl win this year!!!
January 3rd, 2023 at 12:10 am
Steven007
Who are you talking about??? Lets all gang up on him and make sure NO ONE hears what they have to say!!!
LFG!!!
January 3rd, 2023 at 12:10 am
I wore the ME13 red jersey to watch the game at the local sports bar on SUnday. Evans 10 for 207 and 3TDs. Suddenly everyone was high fiving me, (I live in Houston.)
I’m like, “This is what he does, it’s sad that hardly anyone pays attention.” Especially this year under the lethal dumping of Toad’s Bowels.
January 3rd, 2023 at 12:16 am
I’d explain but I am certain you wouldn’t understand. Which is okay and understandable given your condition. Now get some rest.
January 3rd, 2023 at 12:19 am
Just because there are no physical newspapers, they are all digital. The Pro Football Writers of America chooses one of it’s members to represent each NFL market. Those are sort of like being appointments to the Supreme Court. It’s yours unless you give it up or no longer work for an accredited media outlet in your market.
January 3rd, 2023 at 12:24 am
2 big moments for Mike in the NFL, #1 was the birth of his child, and #2 Todd Monken. Joe as you stated on this blog years ago, Todd Monken, (Georgia’s Offensive Coordinator), When Dirk hired Todd, his first priority was to help Mike go to the next level. As I have said before about Mike, he will be giving a speech one day with a yellow Jacket on at the HOF in Canton Ohio, thanking everyone that helped him along the way.
January 3rd, 2023 at 12:25 am
Steven007
Why??? Why continue to go at me. You can’t prove your conspiracy theories based on anything I say, regardless of anything I say to poke fun at your stupidity.
Go ahead and keep attacking me. You’re only showing your true allegiance to STUPIDITY.
Nothing you say makes you SMARTER than me or ANYONE!
January 3rd, 2023 at 12:26 am
Joe Says:
Just because there are no physical newspapers, they are all digital. The Pro Football Writers of America chooses one of it’s members to represent each NFL market. Those are sort of like being appointments to the Supreme Court. It’s yours unless you give it up or no longer work for an accredited media outlet in your market.
———–
Thanks for response Joe, I figured it was something like that, but I wasn’t sure.
Also I meant no real newspapers, as in when you newspaper is just some fake news rag like the St Pete Times, a paper so embarrassingly bad they had to change their name.
January 3rd, 2023 at 12:35 am
August — I sometimes wonder about Monken, if he isn’t maybe the next BA. Everyone assumed he as too old. Never been a HC in the pros. Maybe it’s time.
January 3rd, 2023 at 12:40 am
HEY, FOR THE RECORD.
At least Antoino Brown Didnt have a heart attack on the field.
Good for him and faking the VAX Card.
NO ONE SHOULD HAVE BEEN FORCED TO DO THAT TO THEMSELVES IF THEY DID NOT WANT IT….
That is the only AB apology I will be doing EVER!!!
January 3rd, 2023 at 12:50 am
Good Night WWE fans! I mean WWF fans!
I mean NFL fans. MY BAD YALL
January 3rd, 2023 at 1:04 am
CrackWise….. really classy bud.
January 3rd, 2023 at 1:15 am
Mike C
Much appreciated BUD, Life is not a game, wish some would stop acting differently
January 3rd, 2023 at 1:20 am
@Joe: Is it really important for a teammate to say nice things about a teammate, I don’t think so, he’ll they don’t even have to like each other, only the work you put in on the field matters and I know you know that…don’t know why you had to take that swipe at AB …talk about AGENDA!
January 3rd, 2023 at 1:22 am
^^^^insert hell for he’ll
January 3rd, 2023 at 1:35 am
Lavonte beats Mike by a hair on favorite Buc all time. Not to mention Lavonte is having the best season since 2016, they are both amazing off the field people and willing to make space as well. Both are HOF worthy.
January 3rd, 2023 at 2:28 am
we didn’t have a DIVA before but we did have ABnormal
January 3rd, 2023 at 3:38 am
^^^Good one …and in good taste!
January 3rd, 2023 at 3:57 am
💯
January 3rd, 2023 at 6:04 am
Crack head ? Don’t u have to go push elderly people into traffic , smother some puppies ? Run X mas for kids ? Don’t be late for your clan meeting today??
January 3rd, 2023 at 7:32 am
Evans is to Bucs WR’s what Selmon and Sapp were to Buc DL’s.
Best. Ever.
Gold Jacket/ROH.
January 3rd, 2023 at 8:06 am
Guys , I love me some me13 ! I live and work around the canton ohio area and will be there if & when Mike gets in . Mike does this if any QB can hit him and Mike seems he is a grounded person but who was number 24 for the panthers ? I must imagine he was in there because jc horn was out . If I was Brady and Mike , I’d have picked on #24 too ! Mike got over 200&3 because Brady had a pocket and #24 could not guard mkkeb2 save his life & that’s what won the game ! Thanks 24 !
January 3rd, 2023 at 8:06 am
This team is loaded with high-character players……LVD, AWJ, Chris, Tristan, Gholston, Vea……loaded…
But Mike Evans tops the list.
January 3rd, 2023 at 10:35 am
Love me some Mike Evans, class act on and off field. Love the charity work he does.
Glad for Evans to have a huge game – both he and Brady needed it to restore their confidence and gear up for playoffs.
As a side note, Panthers NEVER doubled Mike. They eventually had a safety shade his way without any effect. IF this happened to the Bucs (see: Rams game last year) we would have pitchforks out for our coaches. I can’t imagine how the Charlotte fans feel about the coaching decisions to leave Mike Freakin’ Evans 1-on-1 all game long. Evans torched them 3 times and coaches made no adjustments. My point is: we complain about our coaches, and rightly so, but remember, it could always be worse.
GO BUCS!!!
January 3rd, 2023 at 10:51 am
He makes QBs …
1. Manziel. Manziel would run around and huck an eyes closed, ill advised pass, that would “magically” be caught. Those magical moments were Mike Evans. He won Johnny Football a Heisman.
2. Winston. With the Bucs, JW threw 4K-5K yards every year. He leaves the Bucs and is a washout.
3. Brady. You want to throw 432 yards and 4 TD. 207 and 3 to Mike.
January 3rd, 2023 at 11:10 am
All vaxxed up and ready for a great day. Up here in the frozen tundra, you have to be an Alpha male to fend for yourself and your family in all the ice and snow.
That being said, Mike is a great player and a character guy, undoubtably. The number one question is, who is going to get those catches when they double team Mike all over the field? I suspect Chris will be 10 to 15 yard Chris. And among the best in the game at that. But Gage, Miller, or Jones will have to fill in the number of catches void.
January 3rd, 2023 at 12:00 pm
BTW.. I don’t watch Fox News, but I do go to their site almost daily to see their perspective on things. Fox commenters blaming the tragedy on the field to some Vax status are basically rare to non-existent. In fact, many are talking about trauma they have seen over the years in sports and other incidents dealing with cardiac arrest, in sports or personally. And many are praying for the guy. I guess it takes a special kind of A, Q, or whatever to go to other places with it at this point in time.