No. 29 — Lee Evans, Football
Great wide receivers don’t come through Madison, Wis. very often, but when they do it is something to behold. One of the greatest ever, and certainly one of the top of the Barry Alvarez era was Lee Evans.
He certainly knew how to burst on to the scene, after spending his first year playing sparingly (just three receptions) Evans hit the ground running for the rest of his career. Evans’ sophomore campaign saw him haul in 33 receptions behind another star in Chris Chambers.
As Chambers graduated, UW fans were treated to easily the greatest statistical season from a wide receiver in school history. Evans’ junior season saw him rack up 75 receptions (XX in school history) for a Big Ten record 1,545 yards and nine touchdowns. His 128.8 yards per game average was also a Big Ten record.
It all added up to Evans being named first team All-American and being one of three finalists that year for the Fred Biletnikoff Award, given to the best wide receiver in college football. However, Evans’ story was just beginning.
Rather than skip his senior season and ride off on the high to the NFL, Evans stuck around for his senior season. It would prove costly though, as Evans would blow up his knee in the 2002 spring game, tearing his ACL. He made an attempt to come back in the fall, but it was another surgery that was needed and not the Camp Randall turf.
Evans came back for his final season in 2003 and added 64 receptions for 1,213 yards and 13 touchdowns. Not a bad comeback season in the least.
He left UW as the career leader in receiving yards (3,468) and touchdowns (27), but also showcased a great dedication to the university and to his craft.
Evans would go on to a long career in the NFL after being drafted in the 1st round of the 2004 NFL Draft (No. 13 overall) by the Buffalo Bills.
Need a reminder of how good Evans was in the Cardinal and White…relive it all here:
Full 50 Greatest Badgers List:
No. 50 – Randy Jablonic
No. 49 – Alex Rigsby
No. 48 — Michael Lihrman
No. 47 — Howard “Cub” Buck
No. 46 — Don Davey
No. 45 — Pat O’Dea
No. 44 — Curtis Joseph
No. 43 — Dean Anderson
No. 42 — Ivy Martin
No. 41 — Ron Vander Kelen
No. 40 — Carly Piper
No. 39 — J.J. Watt
No. 38 — Joe Pavelski
No. 37 — Barb Franke
No. 36 — Dick Cable
No. 35 — Sam Dekker
No. 34 — Jolene Anderson
No. 33 — Paul Gruber
No. 32 — Mark Johnson
No. 31 — Chris Borland
No. 30 — Lisa Boyd
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