Mike Evans’ Muhammad Ali tattoo, and his pregame Ali video routine
There have been a lot of NFL players, and athletes from every sport, sharing their love for Muhammad Ali, the iconic boxer who died Friday night. It says a lot about Ali’s amazing impact that most of those athletes weren’t even alive for Ali’s last fight.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans not only wasn’t alive for any of Ali’s fights, he was still just 2 years old when Ali lit the Olympic torch in Atlanta in the summer of 1996. But Evans was one of the many young athletes who tweeted his thoughts on Ali’s passing. It’s truly amazing that Ali had such a profound impact on a generation that never even saw him live in a boxing ring.
Not only does Evans admire Ali, he has a famous photo of Ali tattooed on his forearm.
Ali’s last professional fight was 12 years before Evans was born, and Ali won a gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics 33 years before Evans was born. But Evans understands his history, and the amazing sacrifices Ali made long before he was born.
Evans told the Tampa Bay Times’ Greg Auman on Saturday all about what Ali means to him, going back to when he would go to the library with his grandmother and check out books on Ali and Joe Louis. He liked Ali’s showmanship, his trash talking, and the impact he had beyond the ring.
“He stood for a cause, stood for African-American people,” Evans told Auman. “He didn’t do it like other black athletes. He didn’t keep quiet. He let it be known that he was the best, and he really transcended sports in my mind.”
Evans told Auman that he watches the same nine-minute video of Ali’s greatest moments and quotes before every game for motivation, going back to his college days at Texas A&M:
It’s hard to imagine any athlete in the past, present or future impacting as many people as Ali did. When you hear about what Ali means to Evans, it’s clear that Ali will continue to inspire people even long after his death, as well.
More Muhammad Ali on Yahoo Sports:
• Muhammad Ali, simply ‘The Greatest’, dead at 74
• Dan Wetzel: Among legends, Muhammad Ali was ‘The Legend’
• Slideshow: Remembering Muhammad Ali
• Sports world reacts to Muhammad Ali’s death
• What made Muhammad Ali a hero to so many?
• Here’s why the Ravens had a special bond with Muhammad Ali
• Remembering Ali lighting the Olympic torch
• Marlins announce Ali’s death before official word came down
• Jim Brown once challenged Ali to a fight and it didn’t go well for Brown
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab