Ethan Evans Bio
Ethan Gray Evans (born July 19, 2001) is an American professional football punter and kickoff specialist for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wingate Bulldogs and was selected in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL draft by the Rams. Evans has built a reputation as a reliable leg on special teams, contributing both as a directional punter and a touchback-producing kickoff man.
Standing 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) and weighing 253 lb (115 kg), Evans wears jersey number 42 for the Rams. He began his career in 2023 and remains on the active roster heading into the 2025 season.
Early Life and Background
Ethan Gray Evans was born on July 19, 2001, in Mount Airy, North Carolina, and grew up there. He attended North Surry High School, where he played both football and track and was a member of the National Honor Society. At North Surry he set several school kicking records, including longest made field goal (51 yards), most career field goals (17), and most career extra points (77).
He was twice named the Western Piedmont 2A Conference Specialist of the Year and was invited to the North Carolina East–West All-Star Game after graduating, becoming the first North Surry player to participate in the event in 23 years and only the eighth overall. His high school success led him to commit to play college football for the Division II Wingate Bulldogs.
Path to American Football
Evans arrived at Wingate University as a multi-phase specialist, prepared to handle punting, kickoffs, field goals, and extra points. He became one of the all-time best special teams players in program history during his four seasons with the Bulldogs from 2019 through 2022. As a freshman he served as the starting punter and primary kickoff man, and by his senior year he had added field goal and extra point duties to his responsibilities.
His senior campaign in 2022 established him as a national Division II standout, and he was twice named the national player of the week by D2Football.com. He was selected to the Hula Bowl and was one of only four Division II players invited to the 2023 East–West Shrine Bowl, signaling his readiness to compete at the professional level.
Ethan Evans Career
Early Career (2019–2022)
Evans played his college ball at Wingate from the 2019 season through 2022, appearing in 39 games for the Bulldogs. He handled punting and kickoff duties in all four seasons and added field goal and extra point work as a senior. Across his career he totaled 186 punts for 8,027 yards, averaging 43.2 yards per punt with a long of 72, and recorded 47 fair catches, 53 punts of more than 50 yards, and 89 punts inside the 20-yard line.
On kickoffs, he posted 213 kicks for 13,230 yards (an average of 62.1) with 120 touchbacks. He was a two-time first-team All-South Atlantic Conference selection as a punter and added first-team All-SAC honors as a placekicker in 2022, when he was also named a first-team Division II All-American.
Wingate Senior Season Breakthrough (2022)
Evans produced his finest collegiate season as a senior in 2022, registering 67 kickoffs for 4,180 yards (a 62.4 average) with 44 touchbacks. He also punted 77 times for 3,518 yards, averaging 45.69 yards per punt, the second-best mark in NCAA Division II that year. He placed 39 punts inside the 20, recorded 30 punts of more than 50 yards, went 10-for-18 on field goals with a long of 41, and converted 43 of 44 extra points.
That season he was named first-team all-conference, all-region, and a D2CCA first-team All-American, and he was also recognized as a first-team All-American by the Associated Press, one of three Wingate players to earn the honor that year. The performance cemented his status as a top small-school specialist heading into the 2023 draft process.
Los Angeles Rams Era (2023–Present)
Evans was selected in the seventh round, 223rd overall, of the 2023 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams, making him the highest-selected Division II player in that draft and only the second Wingate Bulldog ever drafted, after David Jones. He was also chosen in the tenth round (73rd overall) of the 2023 USFL draft by the Pittsburgh Maulers, but he signed with the Rams and has remained with the organization since.
As a rookie in 2023, Evans punted 63 times for 3,101 yards, a 49.22-yard average, and in Week 11 he was named the National Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week, the first Ram to earn a player of the week recognition that season. In 2024, he punted 55 times for 2,530 yards, a 46.0 average, and he entered 2025 as the team’s primary punter and kickoff specialist.
Through his first two-plus NFL seasons, career statistics show 168 punts for 7,946 yards, a 47.3-yard average, a 39.4 net average, 70 punts inside the 20, and a long of 72 yards.
Driving Style and Strengths
On the field, Evans has shown a balanced special-teams profile, combining a strong gross leg on kickoffs with a directional punting approach that places the ball inside the 20. His college averages and his 47.3-yard NFL career average reflect consistent distance, and his placement work on late-game punts has become a defining strength.
Notable Events and Milestones
His selection as the highest-drafted Division II player of the 2023 NFL draft stands as a signature milestone, along with his Week 11 NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honor as a rookie. He has also been a multi-year first-team All-SAC honoree and a 2022 first-team Division II All-American.
Ethan Evans Career Wins
Wins for individual specialists are measured by weekly and seasonal recognition rather than traditional victory totals, and Evans has collected notable honors at every level.
Los Angeles Rams Highlights
Evans earned his first NFL weekly award in Week 11 of the 2023 season when he was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week, the first Ram to claim such recognition that year. In 2025, he again earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 11 after landing four punts inside the 20, including one at the one-yard line late in the fourth quarter of a 21-19 win over the Seattle Seahawks.
Other Wins & Performances
At Wingate, Evans was a two-time first-team All-SAC punter and a 2022 first-team All-SAC placekicker, and he closed his career as a first-team Division II All-American and an AP first-team All-American.
Ethan Evans Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Evans’s parents and extended family is not detailed in available sources, and no specific racing or athletic lineage is recorded beyond his own development at North Surry High School in Mount Airy, North Carolina.
Personal Life
Available verified information about Evans’s personal life is limited. He was born and raised in Mount Airy, North Carolina, attended North Surry High School, and went on to Wingate University before beginning his NFL career with the Los Angeles Rams in 2023.
2025 Season Performance
Evans has continued to serve as the Rams’ primary punter and kickoff specialist through the 2025 season, with 168 career punts for 7,946 yards and a 47.3-yard average already logged in his stat line. His Week 11 performance against the Seattle Seahawks, which included a late fourth-quarter punt downed at the one-yard line to protect a 21-19 lead, earned him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
That recognition highlighted his growth as a situational punter capable of flipping field position in tight games. With consistent placement inside the 20 and a 72-yard career-long punt, he has given the Rams’ coverage units a reliable weapon in close contests.
Looking ahead, Evans remains the frontrunner to handle all punting and kickoff duties for Los Angeles in 2026, supported by his proven leg strength and his growing resume of weekly awards at the NFL level.