Texas A&M football: Mike Evans showing Johnny Manziel not the Aggies' only big-time freshman

Yep, Mike Evans had a heck of a year.

While fellow redshirt freshman Johnny Manziel got the national publicity and the Heisman Trophy, Evans had his own successful season. He became the Aggies leading receiver and Manziel's favorite target despite limited experience at the position.

“He is extremely raw,” Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said.

Evans was a standout athlete in high school, but it wasn't on the football field. He was a star basketball player at Galveston (Texas) Ball, averaging 18.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 5.2 assists as a senior. He was so good that Texas offered a scholarship.

But football friends and coaches had long asked him to give the sport a try. At 6-foot-5, they figured he'd be successful.

Before his senior year, he decided to give it a go.

“It ended up being one of the best choices of my life,” Evans said.

He became a second-team all-district receiver, which wasn't earth shattering, but he did enough to impress then-Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman. Evans got a scholarship offer and signed with the Aggies.

Even after redshirting last season, though, Evans had his struggles. Sumlin remembers first seeing him and realizing that Evans had no idea how to run certain routes or how to adjust to some passes.