When you think of Jemison football over the past two years, it does not take long before Eric Evans’ name comes to the forefront.

As a result, Evans was named the The Clanton Advertiser 2017 Offensive Player of the Year.

Carrying the ball 606 times for 4,128 yards and 57 touchdowns combined during the past two regular seasons will do that.

“It’s an honor and a blessing because I feel like I’ve put in a lot of work,” Evans said. “It means a lot to my family and the team.”

No one ever accused Evans for not working hard, and it shows in his running style.

Evans’ vision allowed him to find the holes, but once he saw them he was not afraid to go straight ahead and challenge defenders for every yard.

“They [offensive line] blocked their buts off,” Evans said. “My team supporting me has a lot to do with where I’m at.”

Evans was a leader among a senior class that orchestrated the Panthers to consecutive postseason appearances.

“This senior class has set a good foundation for years to come,” Evans said. “That was always the main goal.”

Averaging 303 carries a season as an upperclassman is quite the load, but something that Evans became accustom to.

According to Evans, with every carry during a game, he seemed to develop more and more of a rhythm offensively.

“He was definitely a back that got stronger with the more carries he got,” Jemison head coach Van Clements said. “When he got in a groove you had to feed it to him.”

A game that will forever stand out for Evans from his senior year was Jemison’s 21-20 victory over rival Chilton County in week two.

In the game, Evans toted the ball a career-high 51 times for 249 yards and all three of Jemison’s touchdowns.

“That game will forever hold a place in my heart,” Evans said.

He was a wide receiver his freshman year of high school and slowly transitioned to the backfield. However, those receiving skills were still on display at times, as Evans also posed a threat in the passing game.

Despite the fact that defenses have been adjusting their game plans and focusing on limiting Evans over the past two seasons, he still managed to rack up the yards.

During that time he has averaged more than 6 yards per carry, an impressive number especially at the Class 5A level.

“I’m a hard-nosed back,” Evans said. “There’s not going to be just one person that can bring me down, and it’s going to be like that on every carry.”

There is a confidence that Evans carries with him and whether it is in the halls of the school or on the football field, he looks to go the distance every time.