It was complete jubilation in Tuscaloosa when five-star linebacker Rashaan Evans signed with Alabama on National Signing Day.
The same cannot be said for Auburn. The Tigers missed out on securing a signature from one of the top recruits in the country and watched him dawn a crimson hat instead of an orange and blue one. Losing an Auburn High School product, obviously, did not sit well with the Auburn faithful.
Now, Tiger fans are resorting to social media and other means to release their frustration with Evans’ collegiate decision. They have bashed the 6-foot-3-inch, 220-pound outside linebacker on Twitter, Instagram and various other social media outlets, stating they hope Evans tears his ACL in his first game with the Crimson Tide this upcoming season.
This is nothing new to the world of recruiting, or even sports. Players receive hateful feedback from fans of schools they turned down in recruiting or if they do not produce on the playing field. Sometimes they even receive death threats.
After the Iron Bowl, former Alabama kicker Cade Foster received threats on his life on Twitter and Facebook from fans of the Crimson Tide because of the three field goals he missed in the team’s 34-28 loss. Spineless individuals sat behind the shield of their computer screens, blasting a student-athlete for a mistake in a game. The threats are ridiculous and uncalled for, but they will never even come close to being carried out. They are empty words that only pack an emotional punch.
Evans’ case, on the other hand, is different and, frankly, pushing things too far.
In a report from TideSports.com, Evans said someone recently published an article telling Auburn fans to not visit his family’s business, which will in turn potentially cause the Evans family to lose money, which is horrible.
But it gets worse.
“People are telling restaurants in [Auburn] not to serve us,” Evans told TideSports.com.
Lunatics are negatively affecting an entire family just because a high school kid decided to go to school elsewhere. The thought of someone refusing to feed another person because of the team they play for is asinine and inhumane.
Evans chose to sign with Alabama because its defense suits his skill set better than Auburn’s. The Tigers’ coaching staff wanted him to change from outside linebacker to a hybrid mixture of a safety and linebacker. In the Crimson Tide’s defense, it is referred to as Star and Money.
In comparison, Jarrick Williams played at Star for Alabama. But Williams is 6 feet 1 inch tall, 210 pounds and a recent graduate from the University. Evans is still in high school, two inches taller than Williams and will only get heavier.
Evans sees himself as an edge rusher, much like former Crimson Tide standout Courtney Upshaw.
It was a business decision for Evans, who has dreams of playing in the NFL. He chose the system that would equip him with the right tools to advance to the next level. There is no reason why his family should be turned away at restaurants within their community because Evans is following his dreams.
