Tag: Joe Evans

Former Iowa football defensive star lands coaching role with Drake Bulldogs

Joe Evans gets his coaching shot.

The Iowa Hawkeyes not only develop NFL talent with the best of them, but they pump out high-IQ players who seemingly convert into coaches without much issue at all.

The most recent former Hawkeye to get his shot in the coaching ranks is defensive lineman Joe Evans. The Iowa native from Ames, Iowa continues his in-state tradition.

Joe Evans has landed a role with another in-state football program, the Drake Bulldogs, as a defensive line coach.

“Joe has always believed in himself and his abilities. He went from a walk-on at Iowa to being All-Big 10 and team captain by the time he was a senior and most recently a member of the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL. Joe comes from a coaching family; his grandpa Bob was a legendary coach in this state and his dad Spence was a successful high school coach and administrator as well. Joe played and learned under three of the best defensive line coaches in the country – Reese Morgan, Kelvin Bell and former Drake defensive coordinator Jay Niemann. His intensity and enthusiasm will be infectious with our guys. The Drake defensive line is in for a real treat to be able to learn under him,” said Drake head football coach Joe Woodley, who is in his first year with the program.

Joe Evans was with Iowa for five seasons, 2019-2024, and had a storied career with Iowa. He appeared in 56 games for the Hawkeyes.

Evans, an under-recruited talent, blossomed with Iowa. In his career he registered 135 tackles, 35 tackles for loss, 28 sacks, six pass deflections, and four forced fumbles.

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Ravens release LB Joe Evans from the Practice Squad

The Baltimore Ravens signed Yannick Ngakoue to the practice squad and released undrafted rookie pass rusher Joe Evans from the practice squad

The Joe Evans era in Baltimore could be over, as the Ravens released the undrafted free-agent pass rusher out of Iowa on Tuesday.

Baltimore made the move after signing Yannick Ngakoue to the practice squad in a subsequent move.

Evans had a strong preseason finale with two quarterback hits and became a fan favorite during a strong training camp.

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Ravens vs. Packers: Top photos from preseason finale at Lambeau Field

We’re looking at the top photos from the Baltimore Ravens preseason loss to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field

It’s only the preseason, but the Ravens will head towards the 53-man roster cutdown date with a sour taste after a 30-7 loss to the Packers at Lambeau Field on Saturday afternoon. Josh Johnson was 5-7 for 71 yards and one passing touchdown, while Michael Pratt led Green Bay in passing, going 8-12 for 80 yards and one touchdown. The Packers were dominant on the ground, amassing 193 rushing yards, as Ellis Merriweather led all ball carriers with 16 yards for 74 yards. The Packers held the ball for nearly ten minutes longer than the Ravens and out-gained Baltimore by 326 yards to 177 for John Harbaugh’s bunch. With Baltimore now turning its attention toward the Chiefs, here’s an instant analysis of the loss. ***

Ravens vs. Falcons: Top photos from Baltimore’s 13-12 win in preseason Week 2

We’re looking at the top photos from the Baltimore Ravens 13-12 win over the Atlanta Falcons in the preseason Week 2 matchup

Backup quarterback Josh Johnson was perfect on the afternoon, and rookie Emory Jones added a 56-yard touchdown throw to Dayton Wade in the second half to lift the Baltimore Ravens to a 13-12 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium.  The Ravens snapped a three-game preseason losing streak, while Atlanta had 343 yards of total offense but was 4-13 on third downs. Baltimore had another putrid day on the ground, rushing for 71 yards on 30 attempts.  With the team set to start preparation for the preseason finale, here are the top photos from the win over Atlanta. ***

Ravens rookie linebacker Joe Evans gets ringing endorsement from Kyle van Noy

Kyle van Noy described Joe Evans as: “That’s Mr. Iowa right there. He’s an Iowa Hawkeye if I’ve ever seen one.”

Ravens OLB Kyle Van Noy is one of the team’s leading stars and veteran leaders on defense. So his words carry a lot of weight, and that’s good news for undrafted free agent Joe Evans and his hopes of making the final cut this summer.

Van Noy described Evans as: “That’s Mr. Iowa right there. He’s an Iowa Hawkeye if I’ve ever seen one.”

Now, most people outside the Midwest/traditional Big Ten country would hear that and assume he’s a punter. Nationally, the Iowa Hawkeyes brand is punts and extremely low-scoring games.

There is a reason that fans wear t-shirts that read: “Live. Laugh. Punt.”

However, there is much more to Iowa Hawkeyes football than games with baseball-style final scores. It’s toughness, relentlessness, and playing a physical style of football that doesn’t translate to the stat sheet.

Van Noy has noticed this in Evans, praising his effort and ambition in the preseason opener and during training camp in general.

“Big Joe just loves his passion for the game,” said Van Noy.

“He didn’t complain once. I was proud of him. Not only is it an interview for this place, it’s an interview for 31 other teams. He wasn’t perfect, and to play as many snaps as he did, and his pass rush, he was all over the place.”

Evans, who aims to make the squad an edge rusher, recorded the second-most run defense snaps in the NFL during Week 1 of the preseason (31), according to Ravens Nation Live.

He led the Hawkeyes, one of the best defensive teams in the nation last season, in sacks.

According to Van Noy, Evans’s passionate play and high motivation are winning over his teammates.

“It’s awesome; he is the team favorite right now,” KVN added.

Evans’ winning over the locker room can only help his chances of passing the final round of cuts and making the 53-man roster.

Top photos from Ravens 16-13 loss to Eagles in preseason opener

We’re looking at the top photos from the Baltimore Ravens 16-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the preseason opener at M&T Bank Stadium

The Ravens returned to the field for live game action for the first time since their heartbreaking, 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC title game.

Baltimore hosted Philadelphia at M&T Bank Stadium, with both teams on similar arcs, and championship paths. Starting quarterback Lamar Jackson sat out along with key starters on both sides of the football.

Eagles kicker Jake Elliott made a 49-yard field goal with no time remaining to give the Philadelphia Eagles a 16-13 victory after Baltimore quarterback Emory Jones — who had just entered the game — was sacked and fumbled on the next play.

The recovery by Patrick Johnson gave Elliott his final opportunity of the night.

With Baltimore set to start preparation for the Falcons in the second week of the preseason, we’re looking at the top photos from Friday night.

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Ravens training camp: Top photos from Day 5 of practice

We’re looking at the top photos from Day 5 of Baltimore Ravens training camp practices

The Ravens had a day off from training camp on Thursday but returned to the Under Armour Performance Center on Friday and Saturday for their first two full-padded summer practices. Lamar Jackson returned to the lineup after a medical evaluation for flu-like symptoms. At the same time, the team honored the late Jacoby Jones on the day that family and friends traveled to New Orleans for his funeral services. With Sunday’s practice quickly approaching, here are takeaways and notes from Saturday’s session. ***

Ravens initial 90-man roster arranged by uniform number ahead of training camp

Baltimore Ravens’ 90-man roster at the start of 2024 training camp

The Baltimore Ravens have officially reported to the Under Armour Performance Center for the start of training camp with the first practice scheduled for Sunday morning.

There will be starting jobs and roster spots up for grabs, which should make for some intriguing position battles throughout camp and the preseason.

Currently, the Ravens have 90 players on their roster, and that will be trimmed down to 53 ahead of the start of the regular season, and by August 27.

With training camp underway, here’s an updated look at the Ravenss’ initial 90-man roster at the start of training camp, organized by jersey number.

Former Hawkeye Joe Evans is a UDFA to keep an eye on

One of the newest additions to the Baltimore Ravens, Iowa defensive lineman Joe Evans, has a track record of beating the odds.

The Baltimore Ravens today announced the signing of 22 undrafted free agents. All of them face very long odds of making the roster, but one of those 22, Iowa defensive lineman Joe Evans, has a track record of beating the odds.

Evans, who projects as an outside linebacker at the next level, was one of 10 semifinalists for the Burlsworth Trophy, presented to the most outstanding college football player who began his career as a walk-on. Past winners include Hunter Renfrow and Baker Mayfield (twice).

It is named for Brandon Burlsworth, an offensive lineman who walked on at Arkansas after receiving zero Division 1 offers. He went on to become an All-American and later the Indianapolis Colts’ 63rd overall pick in the 1999 NFL draft.

Evans didn’t win the award, which instead went to Cody Schrader (Missouri), who signed a UDFA deal with the San Francisco 49ers.

However, Evans had a praiseworthy college career in his own right. The Ames, Iowa, native came to the Hawkeyes as a walk-on in the fall of 2018 and changed positions from linebacker to defensive end. In 2019, Evans found his way onto the field as a pass rusher, finishing the season with four sacks.

He played in every game for Iowa in 2020 and 2021 and tied for the team lead in sacks during his third season in Iowa City.

In 2022 he made second-team All-Big Ten, and in 2023 his teammates voted him a team captain. He would go on to lead Iowa with 9.5 sacks, 10 quarterback pressures and 13.5 tackles for loss. He was essentially the top pass rusher on one of the country’s elite defenses. He ended his Hawkeyes career fourth all-time in program history for sacks.

If he could find a way to stick with the Ravens, it would be as a special teams player and/or reserve OLB who only sees action on pass-rushing downs. While the chances of that happening are slim, Evans has already shown the ability to beat expectations.

Joe Evans signs undrafted free agent deal with Baltimore Ravens

Headed to the Ravens Flock! Joe Evans inked an undrafted free agent deal with Baltimore.

Another Iowa Hawkeye has inked his first professional football deal.

Iowa defensive end Joe Evans signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Baltimore Ravens. It’s a terrific landing spot with a franchise that just played the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game.

Evans is another one of the great development success stories for the Hawkeyes. After arriving in Iowa City as a walk-on linebacker, Evans moved to defensive end and transformed into one of Iowa’s and the Big Ten’s best.

Evans was a second-team All-Big Ten selection by the league’s media during the 2022 season and a third-team All-Big Ten choice by the league’s media in the 2023 season.

The 6-foot-2, 252 pound defensive end played in 56 games and started 27 during his Hawkeye career. Evans registered 135 tackles, 35 tackles for loss, 28 sacks, six pass breakups and four forced fumbles as an Iowa Hawkeye.

Evans’ 13.5 tackles for loss and his 9.5 sacks both led Iowa during the 2023 season. The Ames, Iowa, native also tied defensive linemen Lukas Van Ness and Deontae Craig for the team-high in sacks with 6.5 during the 2022 campaign and Van Ness with seven in Iowa’s 2021 season.

“I think he’s really representative of the kind of guys we’re looking for… The guy’s got such a motor, such an attitude, and there’s so much to be said for that. I think that’s his best attribute. When he’s out there, he just goes hard,” Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz said of Evans back in November.

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