Mike Evans Week 15 Accolade
The NFL announced that Buccaneers' wide receiver Mike Evans was voted as the FedEx Air and Ground Player of the Week for Week 15 and was named a Community MVP by the NFL Players Association.
Evans put forth a vintage performance in Tampa Bay's 40-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15, hauling in nine receptions for 159 yards and two touchdowns. Evans ranks third all-time with his seven career games with 150-plus receiving yards and multiple receiving touchdowns, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (17) and Tyreek Hill (eight). Evans and New York Jets wide receiver Davante Adams were the only players to record that stat line in Week 15.
With his two touchdowns on Sunday against the Chargers, Evans jumped to fourth in the NFL in receiving touchdowns (nine), despite missing three games due to a hamstring injury. Evans now has 50-plus catches in each of his first 11 seasons, becoming the fifth player in NFL history to accomplish that feat, joining Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, Marvin Harrison and Torry Holt.
Evans is known for being a jump-ball specialist and cheat code at executing back-shoulder catches, but against Los Angeles, his route-running ability was on full display. At the end of the third quarter at SoFi Stadium, Evans hauled in his second touchdown of the day. He quickly gained inside leverage with a subtle maneuver against Kristian Fulton and accelerated to the end zone, providing Tampa Bay with a 30-17 advantage. Evans is nearly in the top-five of every statistical category in league history for the position and is chasing immortality in Canton.
Evans is Tampa Bay's all-time franchise leader in points scored (632), receptions (814), receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, scrimmage yards (12,439) and touchdowns from scrimmage (103).
In addition to his production on the field, Evans was recognized by the NFLPA for his community outreach this week. Evans, along with his wife Ashli and the Mike Evans Family Foundation, hosted 16 local kids from Metropolitan Ministries at the AdventHealth Training Center, showing them around the facility and surprising them with gifts from their wish lists.
Miami Northwestern, Lavonte David and Calijah Kancey's Alma Mater, Wins State Championship
The alma mater of Buccaneers' Lavonte David and Calijah Kancey, Miami Northwestern, celebrated its 2024 FHSAA State Championship. The Miami Northwestern Bulls reclaimed their place atop the hierarchy with a dominant 41-0 victory over Raines at Pitbull Stadium. Under the tutelage of Head Coach Teddy Bridgewater, Miami Northwestern captured the 2024 Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 3A State Championship as David and Kancey cheered while watching the contest through Facebook Live.
"The atmosphere is crazy," noted Kancey. "It is almost like an NFL game or a college game. When we played, the whole city supports it, and it was fun to watch and enjoy that moment. That program molded me and who I am now. They play in almost the SEC in college with the big games and everybody watching and there was always a spotlight. I know that feeling."
The Bulls produced a prolific 12-2 season after a 4-6 year in 2023. The unit assumed their place among Florida's high school football elite, securing their eighth state title in program annals. With a potent offense and a stifling defense, Miami Northwestern silenced the opposition.
"A lot of the kids bought in, and he [Bridgewater] brought that culture and what we were used to back in high school," stated David. "He knows what it takes, and he has been to a championship. He brought that same mentality back to those kids and you could tell that they were playing with that swagger, and I just love to see it. Miami Northwestern gave me a sense of brotherhood. There are players that I played with that I am still close with to this day. We always talk about it [the program] being disciplined and men just having great character and the guys just being team players."
