2017 - 2018 ILLINOIS
FOOTBALL
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
SAMSON
EVANS
QUARTERBACK
PRAIRIE RIDGE HS
CRYSTAL LAKE, ILLINOIS
SENIOR
HEIGHT: 6-FOOT-1
PRESS RELEASE

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HIGHLIGHTED STATS
2092
RUSHING YARDS
38
RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS
610
PASSING YARDS
8
PASSING TOUCHDOWNS
“Samson’s a fantastic football player. He’s deceptively fast, deceptively powerful. We couldn’t tackle him, and he’s been that way the past three years. It’s one of those things where you know he’s going to get the ball, and yet you know you can’t do anything to stop him.”
Jon McLaughlin
Crystal Lake Central Head Coach

Athletic Excellence


The 6-foot-1, 200-pound senior quarterback and return man accounted for 2,915 total yards and 47 touchdowns, leading the Wolves to their second straight 14-0 season and a repeat as Class 6A state champions. The 2017 Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year and two-time IHSFCA All-State selection, Evans ran for 2,092 yards and 38 touchdowns. He also passed for 610 yards and eight touchdowns in addition to piling up 213 return yards along with a touchdown. A four-time Fox Valley All-Conference member, Evans concluded his prep career ranked seventh on the state’s rushing list (6,385 yards) and third in TDs (121).

Academic Achievement


Evans has maintained a B average in the classroom. He has verbally committed to play football on scholarship at the University of Iowa in the fall of 2018.

Exemplary Character


Evans volunteers as an intramural leader at his school. “Samson’s a fantastic football player,” said Crystal Lake Central head coach Jon McLaughlin. “He’s deceptively fast, deceptively powerful. We couldn’t tackle him, and he’s been that way the past three years. It’s one of those things where you know he’s going to get the ball, and yet you know you can’t do anything to stop him.”