He was the other guy.
Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans also had his pro day yesterday in College Station, catching passes from teammate Johnny Manziel. Lost in all the hoopla of his Heisman quarterback, Evans once again proved why he is one of the top wide receiver prospects in all of college football.
Evans certainly looks the part. The Galveston native stands 6-foot-5, and weighed in at 231 pounds at the NFL scouting combine. He was officially clocked at 4.53 in the 40-yard dash in Indianapolis, a faster time than similarly sized wide out Kelvin Benjamin of Florida State (4.61) and in the same range as projected first rounder Marquise Lee of USC (4.52).
On Thursday, Evans was among the many catching passes from Manziel, and showed his prowess at both intermediate and long routes. Evans was the target on two of Manziel's longest throws of the day, including a 55-yard touchdown deep down the right sideline.
That throw and catch elicited oohs and ahhs from onlookers, and even a few claps from Aggie teammates. The last pass of the day also went Evans way, a deep heave down the seam that put a cap on an impressive day for the duo that helped make Texas A&M one of the most prolific offenses in all of college football. After Evans hauled in the throw, Manziel yelled "BOOM!", and several Aggie supporters applauded. They've seen that connection before.
Evans is a unique case, having only played organized football for four years. A former basketball standout, he was a late addition to his high school football team, and in a short time molded himself into one of the best wide receivers to ever play for the Aggies. Considering how good Evans is now, his upside and potential seem limitless as he continues to learn and grow into his position.
The numbers are there as well.
In 2013 alone, he was named a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, while also being selected as a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. He captured All-SEC honors after leading Texas A&M in receptions and receiving yards for the second straight year. Evans broke school record in receiving yards and matched the school record for touchdown catches.
Despite the lack of media attention paid to his performance on Thursday, there is little doubt the 75 NFL personnel in attendance noticed. Evans is projected to go in the top 10 in this year's draft, and several head coaches with picks in that range were observing the workout.
Once the work on the field was done, Manziel reclaimed center stage. He did live interviews with the NFL Network and ESPN, and then addressed the media in attendance at a nearby podium.
Evans? He was nowhere to be found, seemingly happy to let his teammate bask in the spotlight.
He was back to being the other guy again.
