The last time Mitchell Evans suited up on a football field in Northeast Ohio was under the Friday night lights when he played his last Wadsworth High School football game against Wooster on Oct. 23, 2020.
Now, after four years at Notre Dame and entering his second NFL season, the tight end was back home for the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. His Carolina Panthers played the Arizona Cardinals at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 6.
Evans did not play in the game, a 33-30 win by the Panthers. He suffered a low ankle sprain during training camp on July 28. Despite that, several of his supporters still came out, including his mother, Jodi Evans; his former Wadsworth football coach, Justin Todd; and a handful of current and former Wadsworth players.
It has been an “overwhelming” experience for his mother as she gets to see her son play in the NFL.
“It’s just an awesome scene, a kid’s dream when he was little, and then he gets to fulfill the dream on a big stage and then now he gets to come home to the Hall of Fame and play in front of everybody from home,” she said.
Before settling into tight end, Evans started off playing several positions from offensive lineman, defensive back, running back and quarterback. But as he grew into what would later become his 6-foot-5 stature his junior year of high school it was hard to ignore the then-backup quarterback’s gifts.
“We were like well, we had just had a deep playoff run, we had a returning quarterback. He was a great leader for our team, I can’t supplant that guy, but Mitch is an unbelievable athlete you got to get him on the field,” Todd said.
That’s when Todd approached Evans about changing his position to tight end.
“I’ll never forget it was the first day of team camp in June and he ran a crossing route and it was beautiful. He snagged the ball out of the air like you see him now,” Todd said.
Evans comes from a family of athletes. His father, Adam Evans, was a football player at Kent State and the University of Pennsylvania. Jodi Evans, is an Akron Zips Hall of Fame volleyball player. His sister, Kacie Rubin, was a decorated University of Georgia volleyball player, earning All-American honors and now coaches at the school.
His sister’s success led to a natural sibling rivalry, Jodi Evans said.
“He wanted to beat his sister of course,” his mom said. “Unfortunately, he didn’t have all the accolades that she got in Georgia, but he beat her with being able to step on the stage (of being an NFL player). At Notre Dame, he beat Georgia. He was happy so he holds that over top of her. It was always competition so they pushed each other to be the best that they could be.”
Despite his collegiate and professional success, Evans has not lost his roots, something his former high school coach and family cannot be more proud of.
“We’ve watched him develop from a boy to a really fine young man,” Todd said. “While he’s received a lot of the publicity and fame, it’s not changed who he is at his core, which is my favorite part of Mitch’s story.”
“He comes back as much as he can, he ran a few camps,” Jodi Evans said. “… We have a youth scholarship dinner every year and he comes back and helps donate back to that. He just wants to give back and eventually he wants to be able to continue that legacy for the younger athletes.”
For Braydan Todd, the son of coach Todd and a safety at Wadsworth, Evans still having strong ties to home means everything. Especially when the alum comes back home to help with the current generation of Wadsworth players.
“Having a leader like that, it boosts the crowd. Everybody wants to look good for the NFL player,” Braydan Todd said. “He gives back to Wadsworth, he knows where he’s from, he’s a great guy.”
Mitchell Evans’ stats with the Carolina Panthers
Evans dreams came true when he was selected in the fifth round (163rd overall) in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Panthers. Though he dealt with injuries last season, he made 10 starts his rookie year. He gained 171 receiving yards and scored two touchdowns on 19 catches. He enters 2026, competing for the No. 2 tight end spot on Carolina’s depth chart.
What got him on the field early last year was his blocking ability which coach Todd believes will get him even more snaps.
The family hopes Evans and the rest of the Panthers stay healthy, but they don’t see these injuries stopping Evans anytime soon.
Mitchell Evans starred in college at Notre Dame
While at Notre Dame, Evans emerged as an elite tight end.
Evans was a 2024 John Mackey Award semifinalist after being a preseason second-team All-American selection. He helped the Fighting Irish reach the national championship game that season. He caught 43 passes for 421 yards and three touchdowns in 2024.
Reach Aaron at 330-580-8428 or ahhughes@usatodayco.com. On X: @AaronHughe2
The Canton Repository sports department can be contacted via email at sports@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Why Mitchell Evans’ HOF Game homecoming means so much to his family
Reporting by Aaron Hughes, Canton Repository / The Repository
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By Aaron Hughes, Canton Repository | USA TODAY Network
