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UAB head coach Bill Clark knew Los Angeles Rams TE Gerald Everett could be a 'freak'
By Drew Champlin
[www.al.com]
When UAB opens its new football operations building, one room will be dedicated to past teams and NFL players.
Gerald Everett may not have finished his college career at UAB, but the Los Angeles' Rams tight end who was recently drafted in the NFL Draft's second round first made his mark there. There will certainly be a plaque honoring Everett.
Everett played as a sophomore at UAB in 2014. When the program was disbanded, he transferred to South Alabama and flourished over his final two seasons.
The 6-foot-3, 239-pound Everett caught 90 passes for 1,292 yards and 12 touchdowns in two seasons with the Jaguars.
"That's our player," UAB head coach Bill Clark said Thursday. "No offense to South Alabama, they can claim him too, but that's our guy. Jordan Howard (who finished at Indiana and is now with the Chicago Bears) is UAB. Gerald Everett is UAB. I don't make any bones about that. I think he'll tell you he's a UAB Blazer, I'm sure he'll tell you he's a South Alabama guy too, but no offense to them. He's our guy."
Everett quietly emerged onto the scene at UAB. Clark said that former offensive coordinator Bryant Vincent found him at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College. Everett, who played one year of high school football, signed with FCS school Bethune-Cookman in 2012.
Before that fall, he enrolled at Hutchinson with hopes of being re-recruited by a bigger school. He redshirted one of his two seasons there and arrived at UAB in August 2014 as a sophomore.
Everett could have stayed another season at junior college, but the opportunity came open at UAB. It didn't take Clark long after seeing his film.
Two plays was all it took to convince Clark.
Everett, weighing just 215 pounds that season, caught 17 passes for 292 yards with a touchdown and a long of 34 yards and helped UAB to a 6-6 record.
"Just a good kid from day one," Clark said. "Unbelievable hands and physical. He had to get bigger and stronger, but what was so cool about him was how he could run after the catch.
"That was one of those guys where you were like, 'This guy is going to be unbelievable.'"
His touchdown was a 29-yard catch and run against FIU. Everett backed up another future NFL player in Kennard Backman that season. Backman was a senior with Tristan Henderson in the tight end group.
Everett recently stopped by UAB to visit Clark before heading to Georgia to watch the NFL Draft with his family. He played his final two years at South Alabama for Vincent and former UAB tight ends coach Richard Owens.
"We didn't want to lose the two tight ends we had, but we knew this guy was going to be a freak, and he was for South Alabama," Clark said.
By Drew Champlin
[www.al.com]
When UAB opens its new football operations building, one room will be dedicated to past teams and NFL players.
Gerald Everett may not have finished his college career at UAB, but the Los Angeles' Rams tight end who was recently drafted in the NFL Draft's second round first made his mark there. There will certainly be a plaque honoring Everett.
Everett played as a sophomore at UAB in 2014. When the program was disbanded, he transferred to South Alabama and flourished over his final two seasons.
The 6-foot-3, 239-pound Everett caught 90 passes for 1,292 yards and 12 touchdowns in two seasons with the Jaguars.
"That's our player," UAB head coach Bill Clark said Thursday. "No offense to South Alabama, they can claim him too, but that's our guy. Jordan Howard (who finished at Indiana and is now with the Chicago Bears) is UAB. Gerald Everett is UAB. I don't make any bones about that. I think he'll tell you he's a UAB Blazer, I'm sure he'll tell you he's a South Alabama guy too, but no offense to them. He's our guy."
Everett quietly emerged onto the scene at UAB. Clark said that former offensive coordinator Bryant Vincent found him at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College. Everett, who played one year of high school football, signed with FCS school Bethune-Cookman in 2012.
Before that fall, he enrolled at Hutchinson with hopes of being re-recruited by a bigger school. He redshirted one of his two seasons there and arrived at UAB in August 2014 as a sophomore.
Everett could have stayed another season at junior college, but the opportunity came open at UAB. It didn't take Clark long after seeing his film.
Two plays was all it took to convince Clark.
Everett, weighing just 215 pounds that season, caught 17 passes for 292 yards with a touchdown and a long of 34 yards and helped UAB to a 6-6 record.
"Just a good kid from day one," Clark said. "Unbelievable hands and physical. He had to get bigger and stronger, but what was so cool about him was how he could run after the catch.
"That was one of those guys where you were like, 'This guy is going to be unbelievable.'"
His touchdown was a 29-yard catch and run against FIU. Everett backed up another future NFL player in Kennard Backman that season. Backman was a senior with Tristan Henderson in the tight end group.
Everett recently stopped by UAB to visit Clark before heading to Georgia to watch the NFL Draft with his family. He played his final two years at South Alabama for Vincent and former UAB tight ends coach Richard Owens.
"We didn't want to lose the two tight ends we had, but we knew this guy was going to be a freak, and he was for South Alabama," Clark said.
