Brad Evans, the only child of Robert and Nancy Evans, was born and raised in Naples, Florida. Early on the family was committed to Brad's athletic pursuits. He participated in the Police Athletic League Gators traveling Pop Warner program rooted in strong fundamentals backed by quality coaches. At Lely High School, Evans was mentored by strong coaches where his teams always competed at a high level. During his senior year, the football team played in the 1987 3A State championship game while finishing runner-up. His high level athletic competition during high school along with confidence instilled by his parents provided the catalyst for Evans to continue playing at the NAIA collegiate level.
It was Coach Dewayne Wells, '87 M.A, the Cumberland College football recruiter for Florida along with a productive campus visit that further reinforced the interest of Evans and his parents that Cumberland, now University of the Cumberlands, was the right place for him to pursue both football and a college diploma.
Evans was selected to the All MSC Defensive Team in 1989, 1990 and 1991 and an All MSC player of the week multiple times during his career. In 1990 and 1991, he was selected to the NAIA All District Defensive Team. He was voted as a 1st Team All-American in 1991 by the NAIA. His career totals include 227 total tackles, 26 tackles for losses, 6 fumble recoveries, 13 deflected passes and 21 sacks. He is the single game sack leader (4 vs. Lambuth in 1991) and second all-time in sacks, a record recently surpassed by one sack in during 2013 season.
During four years of football at Cumberlands, Evans never missed a game due to injury. His football teams posted a combined record of 28-11-1 from 1988-92. The 1988 team went 10-0 in the regular season while earning the school's first ever NAIA playoff appearance, falling short of advancing with a final mark of 10-1. A decade later, the '88 Team became the first team inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999. Teammates voted Evans co-captain of the 1991 team and best defensive lineman two years in a row.
Evans was graduated in 1993 with a B.S. degree in Business Administration. He attributes the education and leadership skills received at UC with helping him secure a senior leadership position in the Post-Acute Care environment, and a career full of senior leadership roles for multiple long-term care organizations. Now he is Senior Vice President of Operations for the largest publicly traded operator of skilled nursing facilities in the nation.
He met and later married the former, Amy Morris, '93, at UC where she played basketball for four years. This union brought Evans into a family with deep school ties. Father-in-law, Victor Morris, '64, and his brother, Roger Morris, '66, were standout baseball players at UC and have also been inducted members into the Athletic Hall of Fame. Brad's brothers-in-law, Lewis Morris, '09 BS, '97 MA, and Richey Morris, attended '82-'87, both excelled in athletics as starters on the basketball and baseball teams respectively at UC. The Evans are parents of two sons, Brody, 17, and Bryce, 14. Both enjoy football and hope to pursue athletics in college with parental encouragement of first receiving a college education.
