DeAngelo Evans Season 1997

• ABC/Chevrolet NU Player of the Game vs. Washington (9/26/98)
• 1996 Honorable-Mention All-Big12 (AP, Coaches) 
• 1996 Big 12 Commissioner's Fall Honor Roll
• ABC/Chevrolet NU Player of the Game vs. Texas (12/9/96)

Wichita native DeAngelo Evans rushed for 8,473 yards as a prepster to better Barry Sanders' mark, then, although hampered by a groin injury, posted the third-best Husker mark as a freshman with 776 yards and 14 TDs in 1996. Sidelined by a groin injury, he took a medical hardship and watched from the sidelines in 1997. In 1998, he suffered a tailbone injury and a turf toe that limited him to 218 yards in three games. He had arthroscopic left knee surgery after the 1998 seaon and missed most of spring ball. With 994 career rushing yards, Evans if just six yards shy of becoming the 48th back in school history to amass more than 1,000 yards in a career.

1998: Evans suffered a left knee strain during fall practice and had a scope a week before the season opener. After sitting out the first three games, he returned to have a season-best game vs. No. 9 Washington, assisting the Huskers to a 55-7 landslide. The Washington game was his first game since the Big 12 Championship game against Texas on Dec. 7, 1996, as he sat out the bowl game and all of the 1997 championship season with a groin injury. Against the Huskies o Sept. 26, he rushed 13 times for a game-high and team season best 146 yardsand tied his career best with three TDs. It was his fifth 100-yard rushing game. Evans scored NU's second, third, and forth TDs of the game, all in the first half, on runs of 60, 14 and 19 yards. For his efforts, he was he ABC/Chevrolet NU player of the game. In the game, he hurt his big toe on his right foot, but still started the next week against Oklahoma State. Evans was limited to 41 yards on 15 carries with one-yard TD run and bruised his tailbone early in the 24-17 win over the Cowboys. Despite the injury, he started at Texas A&M, but was ineffective with 10 carries for 31 yards. He finished the regular season playing in just three games. He rushed 38 times for 218  yards and four TDs. He also caught three passes for 23 yards. He saw liimited action in the Holiday Bowl, rushing four times for no yards.

1997: Evans did not practice with the team in spring ball, or fall, and was awarded a medical hardship. Evans sat out with a pelvic injury suffered midway through the 1996 season. He had surgery in July and October of 1997 to repair muscle damage in his pelvic area. 

1996: As a true freshman in 1996, Evans made a huge impact for the Huskers. Evans was the Huskers' second-leading rusher, backing up sophomore starter Ahman Green and alternating with senior Damon Benning. Evans had one start--against Texas in the Big 12 Championship. Although he played the last nine games with a nagging groin/pelvic injury, Evans had the third-best freshman rushing season for a Husker with 776 yards on 148 carries for a 5.2 yards per carry average. He led the team in rushing touchdowns with 14 and avereaged 70.5 yards per game. He also had 12 catches for 75 yards, five kickoff returns for 118 yards, 91.7 yards of total offense per game and led the team averaging 103.9 all-purpose yards. Evans had only one carry for two yards in the season opener, did not play in the loss to Arizona State, had six carries for 72 yards and a TD vs. Colorado State, then made his big debut vs. No. 16 Kansas State. Evans hails from Wichita and playing in front of a homestate, yet booing crowd in Manhattan, Evans was called to duty when Ahman green suffered a turf toe injury. Evans came in and recorded a career-high 168 yards on 21 sttempts. It was his first of four 100-yard rushing days in his freshman season. Evans followed his K-State performance with another 100-yard rushing day off the bench against Baylor, this time as backup for Benning, who started in Green's place. Evans had 12 carries for 105 yards and two more TDs. He rushed six times for 24 yards against Texas Tech; 12 times for 42 yards and a TD vs. Kansas; had two rushing TDs against Oklahoma, rushing 13 times for 36 yards. he had 20 yards on eight carriesand two TDs against Missouri; and 54 yards on 12 carries against Iowa State. When Green and Benning left with injuriesin the first quarter against No. 5 Colorado, Evans was called upon to carry the load against another nationally ranked team. As usual, he remained poise under pressure and recorded his third 100-yard rushing day against the Buffs. He carried a then-career-high 25 times for 123 yards, including one seven-yard TD. He also had the game's long run of 40-yards. Evans drew his first start in the Big 12 Championship game against Texas in St. Louis. He recorded his fourth 100-yard rushing day, in a losing effort against the Longhorns with 130 yards on a career-high 32 carries. He had a career-best three TDs, marking the fifth time he had at least two scores in a game, the first time to have three, tying the NU season best. He also had a career-best receiving day wit six catches for 42 yards, including a career-long 22 yarder, and was named ABC/Chevrolet Nebraska Player of the Game. Evans did not play against Virgina Tech in the FedEx Orange Bowl, because of the groin injury. His 776 yards on the season ranked third among Husker freshman, behind Green's 1,086 (1995) and Calvin Jones' 900 as a redshirt freshman in 1991.

At Collegiate HS: Perhaps the best running back to come out of the prep ranks in 1996, Evans was Nebraska's first oral commitment, choosing NU over Notre Dame and Penn State. He played for Coach Mike Gehrer at Collegiate High School, a private school in Wichita, and was named a prep All-American by the National Recruiting Advisor,  SuperPrep and Bluecip. He was the No. 1 player in the Midlands and the SuperPrep's No.5 running back overall. Collegiate Sports listed him as the No. 8 runnin back overall and a first-team All-American. He was the Gatorade Kansas and regional Player of the Year, an All-American and a Top 100 overall as named by Schutt Sports Group. EVans surpassed hometown hero Barry Sanders' numbers, making Evans the most productive back to come out of Kansas. Evans amassed 8,473 rushing yards in 47 games, which ranked fourth all time nationally. He also totaled 131 touchdowns, which ranked third nationally. He averaged 10.6 yards per carry and rushed for more than 100 yards in 31 straight games and in 38 overall. Collegiate (class 3A) posted a 35-3 record his last three years.

Personal: A communications studies major, Evans was honored at the 1997 African Heritage Academic Recognition Banquet for posting a 3.0 semester or cumulative GPA for the fall, 1996 semester. He was named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Fall Semester Academic Honor Roll in 1996. The son of Earnestine and ERic Evans, DeAngelo was born on Dec. 13, 1976.