Lee Evans is coming back next season. After nine months of rehabilitation, two surgeries on his injured knee and one of the most miserable conference campaigns in UW history, Evans made the decision official at a press conference in San Antonio’s Mariott Riverwalk Hotel Dec. 27, a mere 36 hours before Wisconsin’s upset victory over Colorado in the Alamo Bowl.
The announcement from Evans, who missed the entire 2002 season after suffering a knee injury in the spring football game, ended months of speculation as to whether he would enter April’s 2003 NFL draft.
Evans set the school record for catches in a season in 2001 (75) as well as the Big Ten record for receiving yards (1,545). He was projected to be a top-five pick in the 2003 NFL draft before tearing his anterior crucial ligament when he landed awkwardly on Camp Randall’s artificial turf.
His goal of returning in time for the 2002 Big Ten season fell short at the advice of his doctors, and his aspirations of taking the field at any point last season were terminated when he found out his rehabilitation would require another surgery on his not-yet-healed knee.
Evans opted to take a medical redshirt for the season and weigh the options of his future as the Badgers prepared for their showdown with Colorado in the Alamo Bowl.
Evans’ surgery in early December set the timetable for his return to 100 percent physical condition sometime in May, a good two months after the NFL scouting combine.
Rather than entering the draft 19 months removed from his last taste of competition and without testing the grit of his newly constructed knee, Evans decided to return to Madison for a fifth year, seeing this option as the best path for his future success.
He will join freshmen Jonathon Orr and Brandon Williams and sophomore Darrin Charles in a receiving corps that has the potential to be one of the top ones in the nation in the 2003 season.
Evans’ announcement was only the prelude to an exciting weekend for the Badger football team. Just one day later, Wisconsin upset Colorado 31-28 in overtime in the Alamo Bowl, silencing critics who didn’t believe the Badgers were worthy to play in a bowl game.
