2019 Colorado QB Receives Visit From Lyght
Ty Evans was throwing for a Division-I college coach recently and the 2019 Colorado quarterback’s performance wasn’t the only thing that impressed Palmer Ridge High School head coach Tom Pulford.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pounder knew the college coach was there to evaluate him, but still managed to use the opportunity to focus on his own teammates.
“We had a script of 50 throws,” Pulford says. “We had eight receivers out there. In those 50 throws, there were times where Ty didn’t make a perfect throw and a receiver had to try to adjust. He was constantly putting stuff on himself.
“He was like, ‘You know what, Cam? I’ve got to get you a better throw. That’s my fault, Zach. Let me try that again.’ If Ty made a perfect throw and it was right on the pins and that kid dropped it, he was building that kid up. He was like, ‘Hey man, you’ll get the next one.’”
Pulford’s nine-year-old son, who was helping out during the drill, ended up receiving an attaboy as well.
“My son made a one-handed catch, which who cares? Whatever, he’s just a ballboy,” the coach says. “But Ty picks up on that and says, ‘Eli, I see you. That was a great catch, man.’”
That’s all part of Evans’ personality, according to Pulford.
“It doesn’t really matter who you are, if you’re around Ty Evans, he’s going to speak into something that’s going to make you feel better about yourself,” the coach says. “I think what he ends up doing is making everybody around him better. Because their belief in him is strong and because he’s filling their tank – that’s a phrase we use a lot around here – and building them up, their attitude is good and they’re willing to work harder to be a part of what we’re doing.
“I think Ty has an elite combination of personal skills. He also has a chip on his shoulder. He can be a jerk if he needs to be a jerk, but oftentimes, he doesn’t need to be a jerk because he’s working so hard to make everybody else better.”
College programs are starting to take notice and Evans has already heard from schools like USC, Florida State, Washington and Georgia. Notre Dame assistant Todd Lyght was by the school to check on him on Tuesday.
“He said he’s seen all of Ty’s film, really likes what he sees in terms of pocket presence, getting the ball out on time, thinks he’s got a good arm,” Pulford says of Lyght. “But just like all of the other coaches on that level, wants to see Ty throw in person before they make any decisions.”
Lyght extended an invitation to Notre Dame’s Irish Invasion Showcase Camp in June and Evans will be there.
“At that point, they would be able to enter into a conversation regarding where Ty would be at in the Class of 2019 recruits,” says Pulford.
Evans was very excited to find out he was on Notre Dame’s radar.
“Just like any other kid his age with a heartbeat would be,” his coach laughs.
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“Ty’s always been a big fan of the Fighting Irish. He showed me some pictures from when he was on campus back when he was in sixth grade, when his sister, Mariah, was there on a tour for volleyball. He’s been in the locker room, he has a picture of him touching the Play Like A Champion Today sign. He’s grown up watching the Fighting Irish. He’s grown up watching the rivalry with USC. He’s a big-time Irish fan. The fact that he’s getting to be a part of a recruiting process with Notre Dame in the mix, he’s over the moon.”
Pulford has confidence his quarterback will succeed on and off the field in the future.
“He’s got great feet, he’s got a great arm, he’s got a lot of intangibles that a lot of other quarterbacks have to work hard to develop, but probably more importantly, he’s extremely humble,” he says. “He’s an extremely hard worker and he’s a better human being than he is a quarterback. Anytime a coach can say that about a guy who is on the radar at Notre Dame or any of the other schools that are looking at him, I think that’s a great testimony to who that person is, who his parents are and how they raised him. Ty Evans is a better human being than he is a pocket passer and he’s pretty good at that too.
“Ty’s always quick to help somebody in need. He’s constantly building his teammates up. If he’s in the weight room, he makes sure the energy is high. He makes sure guys are giving their best effort. He does it in such a way that guys are consistently buying into it. They don’t feel like he’s being a jerk or pushing them the wrong way. They also know there’s a degree of sincerity and truthfulness and if Ty Evans comes over and talks to them and they’re not giving their best effort that they have one shot to get it right or one of the coaches or Ty is going to get them out of the weight room. The way he builds people up, holds people accountable and leads by example are things that make him a better human being than he is a quarterback in my opinion.”
Pulford gives a lot of that credit to his family, especially his parents.
“His parents are constantly talking to him about what it takes to help your teammates to achieve greatness and for you to go on and achieve your goals,” Pulford says. “The constant exposure to elite-level work ethic and elite-level teammates and his parents talking him through it are all major factors.”
Palmer Ridge offensive coordinator Darren Grob also points to the blend of Evans’ physical and leadership traits.
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“He has a big-time arm,” Grob says. “He moves OK in the pocket and he puts the ball where he needs to. More than that, it’s the intangibles with him. He’s a one-of-a-kind type of kid. He works harder than anybody on the football field. We’ve been blessed with some good talent where we’re at and he stands above.
“I think it’s in his genes. He’s got great leadership qualities. His teammates all look up to him. I think it’s some of those little intangibles, working harder than anybody else to get to where he needs to be.”
Being a quarterback with those traits just makes Evans even more valuable to the Bears.
“It doesn’t matter if we’re working footwork or hand placement or small drills, that kid goes out there and works his tail off every day,” Grob adds. “That’s by far a blessing for us; number one having a kid like that, but then having him in a leadership position at quarterback is something else.”
Grob also noticed Evans’ excitement with Notre Dame in the building.
“For Ty, that was a highlight,” Grob says. “That was definitely a big-time thing for him and he was super-excited about it throughout the day.”
Grob says Evans will be looking for a school that can help him develop on and off the field.
“He’s looking for a school that is going to challenge him in his academics, but also be a great football power. Maybe he can’t come in and play right away, but somewhere they’re at least going to keep him in the mix so that he has the opportunity to go out there and show he can outwork some of the kids in the program.”