Getty Mike Evans prepares for NFL Super Wild Card Weekend showdown against the Dallas Cowboys.
Texas native and Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans had some kind words for legendary Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith during his press conference on January 11.
“I like the Cowboys,” said Evans when he was asked if he was a Cowboys fan growing up in Texas. “Dallas, you like the Cowboys and I loved Emmitt Smith growing up.”
Evans grew up in Galveston, TX where he played football his senior year at Ball High School, earning second-team District 24-4A honors.
Evans Reveals His Favorite QB
Emmitt Smith wasn’t the only player to receive some love and admiration from Evans during his press conference.
Evans went on to reveal his favorite quarterback, who is actually a long time of rival of his current quarterback, Tom Brady.
“I was always an Indianapolis Colts fan because Peyton Manning is my favorite,” added Evans.
The Brady-Manning rivalry spanned over a decade with Brady coming out victorious on 11 of their 17 encounters.
While Evans still has nothing but love and respect for his current quarterback, it will be worth watching if Manning decides to playfully jab his friend Brady with Evans admission.
Ironically enough, Manning will be calling the Buccaneers’ January 16 matchup against the Cowboys on Super Wild Card Weekend via the Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli, better known as the ManningCast, on ESPN2.
Evans Describes Cowboys as “A Good Team But They’re Simple”
The Bucs continue to prepare for their rematch of sorts against the Cowboys, who they defeated 19-3 back on September 11 to start the season, by diving into the tape.
Evans described the Cowboys’ defense as a quality unit who keep things straightforward on that side of the football.
“They’re a team that’s simple – they’re a good team but they’re simple,” said Evans. “They don’t run anything exotic, defensively. Offensively, they’re a really talented team and they want to play straight up and see if you can beat them. We’ve got to come with our best.”
Evans was effective in the teams prior matchup against the Cowboys secondary, catching 5 passes for 71 yards and a score in the Bucs’ Week 1 victory.
He acknowledged the fact that the Dallas secondary is currently banged up by adding, “They’re down at corner – they’ve got two guys injured that were some solid players. The backups are solid, we’re watching more film on them. ’26’ [DaRon Bland] has made some plays.”
However, Evans showcased confidence when talking about when the Bucs are healthy offensively.
“But when we’re healthy, it doesn’t matter who the DBs are,” he added. “Hopefully we get a lot of Cover-1 – you know I love that. And [Trevon] Diggs is a really good corner as well. He matched me in 2021 and the first game of the season, he was on me a little bit but not the whole game.”
Evans registered his best of the game of the season during the Bucs’ 30-24 win over the Carolina Panthers on January 1, where Evans 10 receptions for 207 yards and 3 touchdowns helped the Bucs clinch the NFC South title and advance to the postseason.
The Buccaneers matchup on the NFL Super Wild Card Weekend against the Cowboys is set to begin ay 8:15 p.m. on ESPN.