October 8, 2021

October 8, 2021 Ben Davis High School Indianapolis, IN Spotlight
Evans finds his spot
11
Spotlight
Editor-in-chief:
Lexie Bordenkecher
Former Giant
now making
it in Cincy
By Jalen Flowers
staff writer
Work ethic.
Those two simple
words describe
why former Ben
Davis star Chris Evans is currently
playing in the National Football
League.
“The thing I remember the
most was his work ethic,” forme
BD coach Mike Kirschner said
about Evans. “I was in my office on
Thanksgiving morning taking care
of some paperwork that needed to
be done when I heard some noise
coming out of the weight room.
“I went to see who was working
out and it was Chris Evans power
cleaning. I asked him what he was
doing and he said, ‘I can not afford
to take a day off’. That kind of mentality
is why he is in the NFL.”
Evans established himself as a
Ben Davis legend years ago. In 2014,
he led the football team to a state
championship behind 1,900 total
yards and 28 touchdowns, records
in both categories. His senior year
he accumulated 1,600 yards from
scrimmage and 19 more touchdowns
on the ground and in the air.
Evans also impressed academically
in his final years at Ben Davis.
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh
was impressed by Evans
performance as an upperclassman
and convinced him and his family
to choose Michigan over their rival,
Ohio State.
Before the NFL, Evans’ determination
led him to Michigan. He
joined the club of former Giants in
the Big 10 conference, along with
Ohio State’s Dawand Jones, Indiana’s
Reese Taylor, and Purdue’s
newest transfer Broc Thompson.
“Chris built his reputation in the
weight room,” Kirschner said. “No
one worked harded in there than
him.”
Evans owns records for power
clean and his All-American photos
and articles from his early years at
Michigan are immortalized in the
weight room.
(Photos courtesy of Cincinnati Bengals)
Not only was Evans impressive
on the football field, he played one
year of basketball and was a stud
in track and field. Evans’ recordsetting
10.9 second 100 meter dash
“Friday Night Lights was
everything I worked my
whole life for up until that
point. It was an honor to
go out there and play with
my brothers every Friday
night. The good thing
about game days was the
same guys I played with
on Friday nights were
the same guys I played
with on Saturday mornings
in little league. It
made it that much more
meaningful for all of us.
My teammates, my brothers,
my family, and the
whole community. There’s
nothing like Friday Night
Lights.”
- Chris Evans, 2016 BD grad
and 14.28 second 110 meter hurdles
translated directly onto the football
field. He also was one of the
state’s top long jumpers both his
junior and senior seasons.
The determination displayed at
Ben Davis led to Evans graduating
as a fifth year senior. It also led to 17
touchdowns in his career at Michigan
and two preseason touchdowns
as a Cincinnati Bengal.
Evans has played in all four regular
season games for the 3-1 Bengals,
who host the Green Bay Packers
this weekend.
Through all his successes, Evans
remains first and foremost a Giant.
“My favorite memory was when
we went to the state championship
(in 2014),” Evans said. “Our journey
was a memorable one for me. I remember
that after we won the regional
final, my best friend passed
out in the locker room.
“When he woke up, he said,
‘Man, I can’t believe we won! We’re
going to state!’ It was incredible
to see how happy someone can be
about football. It brought everyone
together – it was an unbelievable
journey.”
That journey still continues for
Evans. Where it will end is anyone’s
guess.
Managing editor:
Mary Adams
........
Staff:
Mawaddah Aminou, Aaron Ayala,
Anyolina Contreras, Lily Davis,
Briana Del Rio Drew Evans,
Taubah, Elebute, Makalyn Favors,
Jalen Flowers, Leslie Hernandez,
Zoe Harris, Raelynn Hughes,
Drake Johnson, Nicholas Morton,
Aesha Patel, Mistura Oketokun,
Aunesty Owens, Marques Reese,
Yanelis Rivera, Nadia Rivera,
Brooklynn Sharp, Anaiah Wright
Adviser:
Tom Hayes
Principal:
Sandra Squire
Spotlight is the official newspaper of Ben Davis
High School. It was created and is maintained
by the Board of Education of the Metropolitan
School District of Wayne Township as part of the
curriculum of the school district. Its purpose is to
allow students to develop and refine their skills as
journalists under the supervision of the principal,
Sandra Squire, and faculty of Ben Davis High
School.
Spotlight represents and exemplifies Ben Davis
High School and is not a public or open forum.
The principal and faculty of Ben Davis High
School are therefore charged by the Board of
Education with the responsibility of exercising
editorial oversight to ensure that contents of
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Values, which may be found on the Wayne
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Davis High School.
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reserves the right to edit the letter for journalistic
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“Friday night is the show, after
weeks of preparation (rehearsal)
, Friday
night you get to
dress up, go out on
stage and perform
in front of all your
friends and family.
Big game energy
is electric, and in
our conference
they are all big
games.”
- head freshman coach Nicholas
Martell
“Friday Night
Lights to me
is all about
passion. Passion
for your
school, for your
community, for
the game, and
for your teammates.”
- freshman offensive
line coach Jon
Robinson
“High school football
fields full of young
student-athletes working
together to achieve
the ultimate team goal of
a victory, while striving
towards individual accomplishments.”
- freshman defensive coordinator
Tim Gibson