Former New York Giants running back Charlie Evans has died, according to reports.
He was 76-years-old. No cause of death has been reported.
An obituary for Evans said he died on Nov. 4 at his residence in Longview, Texas. He was a native of California, who began his collegiate career at Utah and finished it at Southern Cal. Evans had a slight tie to the Harrisburg area, too, having played for the Trojans when former Harrisburg High star Jimmy Jones was at quarterback.
Evans’ obit proudly mentions that he was a member of the first nonsegregated team to play in Alabama, and that all of Southern Cal’s touchdowns were scored by African American players, including two by Sam “Bam” Cunningham, in a 42-21 win over Southern Cal.
Evans was one of 10 players from that team drafted to play professionally, per his obit. He was taken in the 14th-round, 356th-overall, by the New York Giants. He played for the team through the 1973 season and then played one year for Washington before wrapping his career in 1974.
He finished with 644 yards on 205 carries and 470 yards on 54 catches. He scored 13 touchdowns.
His obituary said that, at his request, his body was donated to the NFL concussion protocol research program.
