Every freshman has a learning curve when it comes to college, especially if they are a student-athlete.
But, for Indiana freshman punter James Evans, the learning curve is a bit different.
Not only is he a freshman, but when he arrived on campus mid-season, it marked the first time the New Zealand native visited the United States.
When he arrived in Bloomington, the temperature was in the 20's, and Evans immediately went to buy winter coats after showing up in flip flops and shorts.
“I’m going to die out here if I don’t," Evans recalled recently meeting with the media via Zoom.
And, there's been plenty of lessons, including one that he will take with him for the rest of his career with the Hoosiers.
"Like, 50,000-plus capacity stadiums are no fun to run up,” Evans said. “So, yeah, lesson learned. That’s not something I’ll do in the fall, for sure.”
What won't he do in the fall?
Take his helmet off -- something he struggled with during spring practices, according to Evans and members of the Indiana coaching staff.
Earlier this spring, special teams coordinator Kasey Teegardin talked about the learning curve for Evans.
"“It's interesting when you get a guy like that. The first time he ever wore pads was practice three. You kind of take it for granted. The dude is out there, taking his helmet off before he even gets off the field. You have to tell him, that is a penalty. He is very raw. He is new to a lot of this. We are having to take him day by day, step by step. He is learning a ton. This spring is so important and valuable to get him to mid-year is a huge deal. You don't have a lot of time, if he is going to be the guy day one at Iowa, you can't take time to say, ‘Hey man, you can't take your helmet off before you are off the field.’ He is tying his shoe and Coach is calling an emergency punt. I love when Coach Allen does that, to keep everyone on their heels in the flow of the game and James is out there tying his shoe. You don't have time to tie your shoe. The play clock is running. It has been a learning curve for him, but he has taken everything in stride. He is a tremendous young man. He is mature for his age. He is 19. He comes in and has a big leg and we expect a lot out of him," Teegardin said.
Head coach Tom Allen laughs when he recounts the story of Evans taking his helmet off.
"He kept taking helmet off and he said it is too tight. I had to remind him he can't take his helmet off until he gets to the sidelines. We told him we would get him a bigger helmet, cut his hair, something," Allen said.
And, this week, when he met with the media, Evans was able to laugh, as well as he discussed his punishment of running stairs and how he now feels about his helmet.
"It’s about five pounds, molded to my head. That was a bit of a challenge,” Evans noted, adding that he loves his helmet now. “But, yeah, I didn’t really realize you couldn’t take it off. I think it was only two yards. Two yards from the sideline I took it off.”
While he had to learn to keep the helmet on, one thing he didn't need much work with was kicking a football, something Teegardin, Allen and kicker Charles Campbell said Evans can do very well.
He learned to do that at Prokick Australia, the same academy that produced former Indiana punter Haydon Whitehead.
Evans is the third player from the New Zealand/Australia area that Allen has recruited and he has leaned on Whitehead, who he is replacing, to help get him accustomed to life at Indiana and inside the Big Ten.
“We’ve kicked balls together a few times, and in those sessions he’s given me a lot of advice, everything from on the field, off the field, handling coaches, handling teammates, handling pressure, all that kind of stuff. If he hadn’t done such a good job these past four years, I probably wouldn’t be here," Evans said.
And, he's gotten used to kicking inside Memorial Stadium.
“Kicking in the stadium for the first time, it was really surreal. Now it’s just like a field, but those first, like, two weeks here, you’re like ‘Wow, this is so cool," Evans admitted.
With the season approaching, Evans finds himself in a competition to be the starting punter, but all feel like he will do big things, should he be the starter.
"He is talented, everything we thought he would be. Really pleased. He is a hard worker, physically strong and gifted. I believe he can be excellent," Allen said.
Campbell echoed those thoughts.
"James has a massive leg. When he gets a hold of the ball he hits some of the biggest balls I've ever seen," Campbell said.
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