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Mike Evans is as strong as it gets. One of the best receivers in the NFL, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers pass-catcher demands attention for his physical presence everywhere he goes: whether he's aligned against any cornerback on the field or when he's in press conferences, it's impossible not to note his size.
But being strong does not only mean you are big and can lift weights. Being mentally strong is just as important, and Mike Evans can pride himself on being one, as he's overcome personal tragedy to become the NFL superstar that he is today.
What happened to Mike Evans' father?
Mike Evans had to cope with the death of his father when he was only nine. Mickey Evans, his father, reportedly had a history of abusing Mike's mother, Heather Kilgore, but this was a long-standing secret in the family. Heather became pregnant when she was just 14, and her brother, Sam, learned about her pregnancy when he was serving a 10-year burglary sentence.
When Sam was released from jail, he went to live with the couple. The abuse was never noticed by anybody until the day Mickey punched a beer can into Heather's mouth, opening her lip. He went to jail for 30 days, but Sam was in a rage because of what happened with his sister.
The story of how Mickey was murdered was told in an E:60 segment regarding the horrific night the family lived in 2002:
"One night, Sam was out socially with Mike's mom and something triggered something in him," said John Minton III, who produced the 25-minute E:60 segment with Dan Lindberg for ESPN. "Sam had gone back home to the residence where Mike's dad was babysitting Mike and his sister. He tried to entice Mike's father into a fight, and Mickey was brushing it off and not engaging with him. That put Sam in even a further fit of rage.
"He went to the bedroom and got a gun and fired it at him. Mickey jumped through a window. Sam took out a pocket knife and went after him. Then he shot him one time in his forehead, and Mike father's died in the street while he was sleeping upstairs at that time."
Mike eventually forgave his uncle when he grew up and understood what led to the events of that night. Sam Kilgore is serving a life sentence in prison after killing his cellmate in 2006.
Evans went on to enroll at Texas A&M and later became a first-round pick in the 2004 NFL draft. He was voted the All-Pro in 2016, is a three-time Pro Bowler and has at least 1,000 receiving yards in every season he played in the NFL.
