William Evans '17 Recruiting Profile

Thank you for taking the time to read my profile and allowing me to introduce myself. My name is William Evans and I am a student-athlete at Blue Valley High School in Overland Park, Kansas.

At Blue Valley my favorite extracurricular sports activities I participate in are football, and track. I have been a member of the Blue Valley varsity football team since my sophomore year and have a true passion for the sport. To me, it’s not only a test of physical strength and resiliency, but a competitive test of mental wills also.

I take a lot of pride in preparing myself to meet the demands of the season by lifting weights at 6 AM from January through the end of the season; extra conditioning; spending quality time in the film room and extra reps with my offensive teammates; but I also relish the role of team leader.

I am a quiet leader and prefer to lead by example. Not only am I the player who will set the tone by going all out for every play in practice and who will play just as hard without the ball as I do with it, but I’m also the teammate that speaks to individual team members to motivate, encourage, and reassure them that their contributions are necessary for the team to be successful.

With all of that said, I still have to perform on the field during games because I want my teammates to be confident that I will deliver whenever my number is called. This season I rushed for 1,000 yards on 166 carries and scored 14 touchdowns. I also returned a kick-off 98 yards for a touchdown. It’s important for me to be a respected and respectful teammate that delivers a strong performance on game days.

I have been a member of the Blue Valley varsity Track and Field team since my freshman year, participating in sprinting and relay events. The sport of track has helped increase my self-confidence, as well as taught me to never give up and push through adversity until you achieve your individual and team goals. By improving as an individual athlete, I  know I will contribute to the team’s overall success.

I am most proud of being a member of the 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams. As a member of both relay teams, I spend a lot of time with my teammates to ensure our take offs, handoffs, and running form is consistent and close to perfect.  As a member of the relay team I gained team building and motivating skills, because everyone must work together in order for the unit to be successful. We worked extremely hard my sophomore year, made it to the state finals and placed 3^rd in the 4 by 400 relay. Most of our team will return this year with the goal of becoming the 4 by 400 state champions.

As a student at Blue Valley, I maintain a B or 3.2 GPA. I like to challenge myself so I have taken either an Honors, or Advanced Placement (AP) class every semester since my freshman year. I am interested in a career in either physical therapy or environmental science so I have taken an anatomy and honor biology class in addition to my required classes. I made B’s in both classes and really enjoyed each subject. It is important to me to keep my grades up so I am an attractive candidate to colleges both athletically and academically.

With all of the opportunities I have been given and experiences I have enjoyed, it is important that I do my part and give back by helping to improve my community.  One way I enjoy giving back is volunteering at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church Food Pantry in Kansas City, Kansas. I help stock the pantry and assist community residents shopping for food. Some of the shoppers have fallen on hard times and other just need a helping hand. Although I am only there for a few hours, I know I have made a difference with others by helping to feed them, creating a positive and upbeat experience through my service, and treating everyone with respect and dignity. My time being a student is finite and will eventually end. My transformation of becoming a professional who consistently tries to make positive contributions to his community is a never ending journey for me.