April 26, 2025 • 7 mins
Mitchell Evans speaks with media after being drafted by the Panthers in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hope review.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
And Mitchell congratulations and Mike came from the Charlotte Observer.
You obviously dealt with a pretty major injury. How how
big was it for you to respond the way you
did coming into your senior year.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Yeah, so that was that that was a tough obstacle
to go through. But yeah, my my goal was to
get on the field early and be confident and be healthy.
And I feel like I did that when I got
when were playing in A and M, that was week
one for us, and so for my rehab journey, that
was eight and a half nine months. So I was
just working back to to get on the field and
so I can help contribute to the team. But I
(00:39):
feel like as the season went on, I got better,
got more confident and you know, healthy as the season
went on, and I truly feel like I'm better than
I was before.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
So I know, you you arrived after Tommy Tremble left,
But do you guys have a relationship. Have you talked
to him at all during the process?
Speaker 4 (00:54):
What's that?
Speaker 3 (00:55):
What's not directly through this process? But you know I've
you know, talked with him when he's you know, made
some offs back in Notre Dame. Or whatnot, So we
definitely can get in the past. Yeah, but you know,
Notre Dame.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Gossa's great, awesome, Thanks, congrats again, thank you.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
What's up? Mitchell Alex Zetlo, also of the Charlotte Observer,
Congratulations you kind of alluded to it how crazy the
past ten minutes have been. But how I mean, can
you just take us through, uh, the past I don't know,
thirty six hours or whatever of the past couple of days,
how it's been for you.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Yeah, So for me, just you know, obviously I've never
been as in you know, in tune with watching the
draft or whatnot. Obviously, you know, with this year, I was,
you know, in it and whatnot. It was a little
more stressful, I would say, but you know, fun nevertheless,
So you know, the one thing Coach Freeman, my our
Notre Dame head coach, you always kind of stayed right
fut left foot, you know, stay right where your feet
(01:51):
are and keep moving forward. And I try to do
that this whole process. I never try to get too high.
I'm trying to get too low. I just you know,
I'm trying to be where my feet were, and you know, eventually,
you know, if my name is to get called, it
is they get called that was meant to be. So
got called today to a great organization, great team, great people,
and I'm excited.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
So nice. Yeah are you all? Are you celebrating at
a party at at your house or like where are
you at? H?
Speaker 3 (02:16):
So, my I running out of Airbnb up in Cleveland
because I'm from Akron, which is like forty minutes south,
but my extended family's from Toledo, Anti an hour and
a half west. But so this is kind of a
halfway hub, and you know, I just felt like it
was the best spot for all of us and we
all could be out together and you just hang out
and enjoy the moment totally.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
And speaking of your family, you come from quite an
athletic family. Obviously you got the connection of football with
your dad, right, did you ever a strange question, did
you ever contemplate playing volleyball? I know you're basketball player
as well, but did you ever constantly playing volleyball because
your mom's volleyball player or was a volleyball player your
(02:59):
sister current is like, did you ever take up best sport?
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Obviously it always like crossed my mind, but there was
never really an opportunity to do that. Where I'm from,
they never had boys volleyball growing up, but yeah, I
was exposed to from a young age just travel with
my sister and my family, and it was a fun sport.
So definitely I they if I would have had the opportunity,
I definitely would have played it, but just never had it.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
I imagine you would have been a center or something,
right hitter or something. But cool man, Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Appreciate it. Thank you.
Speaker 5 (03:30):
All right, we will go to David, followed by Cassidy.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
ESPN dot Com. Congratulations. I know you you've done well
as a receiver and balker, but I wonder which one
you feel like is your strength or do you feel
like the versatility is your streint.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
I truly feel like my versatility is my strength. And
I know a lot of people, you know, kind of
doubted my ability to kind of come back from this
injury in the past game specifically, but I truly feel like,
you know, to elevate my next game or at my
game at the next level, my uh, I'm gonna have
to get better at blocking, just you know, kind of
get back into it and stuff. But I truly feel like
(04:07):
my versatility is being able to do both line up
in line out out of out in space and be
able to create space against you know, linebackers, the safeties
or being able to block the ends. I feel like
I can do it all, but actually through my versatility
at by great strength.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
And I know, I think, what three touchdowns last year,
but the Panthers are looking for more threats in the
red zone, particularly that position. What makes your guy you
think can be that.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
I just feel like the way I kind of see
and understand the game of football, like the way I
redefenses process it just because of how I learned. I
grew up, you know, as a quarterback, and so like
how I learned the game of football, effic is really
helped me as a player and how I learned redefenses
and understanding offense as a whole. And when you get
down on the red zone, it's all about execution. So
(04:51):
you wouldn't need to be day you one hundred percent
perfect in tune with your steps, your footwork, your your depth,
your timing and your spacing with a quarterback and also
your route. So I feel like I have a great
understanding of all that, and you know, we're ready.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
To show that at the next level.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (05:07):
Thanks, Hey Mitchell, I'm Cassidy with the Panthers. Congratulations, thank you.
You said you grew up a quarterback. When did you
make the switch?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
So my my auth throughout high school I was quarterback
my freshman, sophomore, and senior year. But my junior year
I was dealing with a little bit of a back
injury and so I could like twists and it hurt,
like rotating my hips. So my high school coach and
I had a discussion of like, all right, I can
still move, still need to get on the field, so
we just need to pivot to tight end. Because I
was pretty big compared to other people. Put me there.
(05:42):
I had a good year, made a great highlight tape.
I'd say, you know, I made it myself on huddle,
which was great, and then it was good enough to
get recruited, and it got recruited based off of that
highlight tape in year. So the plan was always to
play tight end at the next level and going into college.
So I'd probably say to college. I don't know, I
only played one year at high school. I don't know,
(06:05):
but probably college.
Speaker 5 (06:06):
Yeah, and then it just to clarify. You said so
at the beginning, did you play in that first game
this season against Texas A and M.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
I did.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
I played in every game this year, but it was
a limited It was like nine or ten STAPs, which
I knew that was going to be the possibility or
that was going to be the reality coming back so
early and with the timing of everything, because that was,
you know, a little less than nine months for me
with an A cl it's it's a longer process of rehabilitation.
So for me to get on the on the field
(06:34):
was just a two miles zone for me, and then
each week I just slowly increased my workload and just
got back to where I was.
Speaker 5 (06:41):
So in that game, either when you were on the
field or maybe through film study, what were your impressions
of your new teammate Nix s Quaranton, Uh.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
Dude is a certified ball or he is strong, fast,
he's got it all. He's going to be a good
teammate to you know, want go against and practice and
get better going out every single day. But you know,
I would hate the game game plan against him because
I was tough for us.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Thank you.
Hope review.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
And Mitchell congratulations and Mike came from the Charlotte Observer.
You obviously dealt with a pretty major injury. How how
big was it for you to respond the way you
did coming into your senior year.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Yeah, so that was that that was a tough obstacle
to go through. But yeah, my my goal was to
get on the field early and be confident and be healthy.
And I feel like I did that when I got
when were playing in A and M, that was week
one for us, and so for my rehab journey, that
was eight and a half nine months. So I was
just working back to to get on the field and
so I can help contribute to the team. But I
(00:39):
feel like as the season went on, I got better,
got more confident and you know, healthy as the season
went on, and I truly feel like I'm better than
I was before.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
So I know, you you arrived after Tommy Tremble left,
But do you guys have a relationship. Have you talked
to him at all during the process?
Speaker 4 (00:54):
What's that?
Speaker 3 (00:55):
What's not directly through this process? But you know I've
you know, talked with him when he's you know, made
some offs back in Notre Dame. Or whatnot, So we
definitely can get in the past. Yeah, but you know,
Notre Dame.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Gossa's great, awesome, Thanks, congrats again, thank you.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
What's up? Mitchell Alex Zetlo, also of the Charlotte Observer,
Congratulations you kind of alluded to it how crazy the
past ten minutes have been. But how I mean, can
you just take us through, uh, the past I don't know,
thirty six hours or whatever of the past couple of days,
how it's been for you.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Yeah, So for me, just you know, obviously I've never
been as in you know, in tune with watching the
draft or whatnot. Obviously, you know, with this year, I was,
you know, in it and whatnot. It was a little
more stressful, I would say, but you know, fun nevertheless,
So you know, the one thing Coach Freeman, my our
Notre Dame head coach, you always kind of stayed right
fut left foot, you know, stay right where your feet
(01:51):
are and keep moving forward. And I try to do
that this whole process. I never try to get too high.
I'm trying to get too low. I just you know,
I'm trying to be where my feet were, and you know, eventually,
you know, if my name is to get called, it
is they get called that was meant to be. So
got called today to a great organization, great team, great people,
and I'm excited.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
So nice. Yeah are you all? Are you celebrating at
a party at at your house or like where are
you at? H?
Speaker 3 (02:16):
So, my I running out of Airbnb up in Cleveland
because I'm from Akron, which is like forty minutes south,
but my extended family's from Toledo, Anti an hour and
a half west. But so this is kind of a
halfway hub, and you know, I just felt like it
was the best spot for all of us and we
all could be out together and you just hang out
and enjoy the moment totally.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
And speaking of your family, you come from quite an
athletic family. Obviously you got the connection of football with
your dad, right, did you ever a strange question, did
you ever contemplate playing volleyball? I know you're basketball player
as well, but did you ever constantly playing volleyball because
your mom's volleyball player or was a volleyball player your
(02:59):
sister current is like, did you ever take up best sport?
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Obviously it always like crossed my mind, but there was
never really an opportunity to do that. Where I'm from,
they never had boys volleyball growing up, but yeah, I
was exposed to from a young age just travel with
my sister and my family, and it was a fun sport.
So definitely I they if I would have had the opportunity,
I definitely would have played it, but just never had it.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
I imagine you would have been a center or something,
right hitter or something. But cool man, Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Appreciate it. Thank you.
Speaker 5 (03:30):
All right, we will go to David, followed by Cassidy.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
ESPN dot Com. Congratulations. I know you you've done well
as a receiver and balker, but I wonder which one
you feel like is your strength or do you feel
like the versatility is your streint.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
I truly feel like my versatility is my strength. And
I know a lot of people, you know, kind of
doubted my ability to kind of come back from this
injury in the past game specifically, but I truly feel like,
you know, to elevate my next game or at my
game at the next level, my uh, I'm gonna have
to get better at blocking, just you know, kind of
get back into it and stuff. But I truly feel like
(04:07):
my versatility is being able to do both line up
in line out out of out in space and be
able to create space against you know, linebackers, the safeties
or being able to block the ends. I feel like
I can do it all, but actually through my versatility
at by great strength.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
And I know, I think, what three touchdowns last year,
but the Panthers are looking for more threats in the
red zone, particularly that position. What makes your guy you
think can be that.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
I just feel like the way I kind of see
and understand the game of football, like the way I
redefenses process it just because of how I learned. I
grew up, you know, as a quarterback, and so like
how I learned the game of football, effic is really
helped me as a player and how I learned redefenses
and understanding offense as a whole. And when you get
down on the red zone, it's all about execution. So
(04:51):
you wouldn't need to be day you one hundred percent
perfect in tune with your steps, your footwork, your your depth,
your timing and your spacing with a quarterback and also
your route. So I feel like I have a great
understanding of all that, and you know, we're ready.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
To show that at the next level.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (05:07):
Thanks, Hey Mitchell, I'm Cassidy with the Panthers. Congratulations, thank you.
You said you grew up a quarterback. When did you
make the switch?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
So my my auth throughout high school I was quarterback
my freshman, sophomore, and senior year. But my junior year
I was dealing with a little bit of a back
injury and so I could like twists and it hurt,
like rotating my hips. So my high school coach and
I had a discussion of like, all right, I can
still move, still need to get on the field, so
we just need to pivot to tight end. Because I
was pretty big compared to other people. Put me there.
(05:42):
I had a good year, made a great highlight tape.
I'd say, you know, I made it myself on huddle,
which was great, and then it was good enough to
get recruited, and it got recruited based off of that
highlight tape in year. So the plan was always to
play tight end at the next level and going into college.
So I'd probably say to college. I don't know, I
only played one year at high school. I don't know,
(06:05):
but probably college.
Speaker 5 (06:06):
Yeah, and then it just to clarify. You said so
at the beginning, did you play in that first game
this season against Texas A and M.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
I did.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
I played in every game this year, but it was
a limited It was like nine or ten STAPs, which
I knew that was going to be the possibility or
that was going to be the reality coming back so
early and with the timing of everything, because that was,
you know, a little less than nine months for me
with an A cl it's it's a longer process of rehabilitation.
So for me to get on the on the field
(06:34):
was just a two miles zone for me, and then
each week I just slowly increased my workload and just
got back to where I was.
Speaker 5 (06:41):
So in that game, either when you were on the
field or maybe through film study, what were your impressions
of your new teammate Nix s Quaranton, Uh.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
Dude is a certified ball or he is strong, fast,
he's got it all. He's going to be a good
teammate to you know, want go against and practice and
get better going out every single day. But you know,
I would hate the game game plan against him because
I was tough for us.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Thank you.
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