Next Friday would have been twenty years to the day that Mike Alstott broke the Buccaneers All-Time Touchdown record. Perhaps it’s fitting that Monday night will probably see another Mike break that same record. Buccaneer WR Mike Evans. With both Mike’s currently tied at seventy-one touchdowns each, it is a good moment to think how fortunate Buccaneers fans have been to call both, two of the best.
He Kept The “Train” Rolling
Mike Joseph Alstott was every bit of a Buccaneers offensive force. Selected by the Bucs in the second round of the 1996 draft (#35). The team would make him a running fullback as opposed as a blocking one. What a great move this was. Not only could he make space for Warrick Dunn, they were nicknamed WD40, but his soft hands, strong legs, and unbent determination made him the ultimate weapon.
Tthe organization was putting the pieces together for the first championship in franchise history. With a defense that has the Hall of Fame covered like the “Tampa Two”. The Buccaneers offense didn’t glide as smoothly. Except for when the ball was in the A-Train’s hands. Whether it was a run up the gut, a scamper outside, or a screen pass to one of the best catching fullbacks in the history of the NFL. When the train was a rolling, the whistles were a-blowin.
Texas Tornado
Michael Lynn Evans III was born in Galveston, Texas. He attended Texas A&M University. Brought the school a Heisman trophy by making Johnny Manziel look so good. Which is exactly what Buccaneer GM Jason Licht knew. Buccaneer fans knew we were getting the best WR in the draft at pick #7 of the 2014 first round. But could they have known that a Hall of Fame receiver was stepping onto the team?
An NFL player that could just as easily been in the NBA. Mike Evan’s had jumps like nobody else. Hands that grab the ball with violence, yet elegantly. Deceptive speed, and a frame like a doorway. Want to talk about art? The beautiful art on Evan’s arms tells his life story. Maybe someday he will have the chance to sit down and talk to us about it all. But right now he is getting ready to take the top spot in Buccaneers team history for touchdowns. Buccaneer fans can’t wait.
Alstott told Buccaneers.com senior writer and editor Scott Smith that he is happy to see the record going to a player who has made the franchise proud. Which is exactly the way Buccaneers fans felt twenty some years ago when the A-train passed RB James Wilder at forty-six touchdowns. Speaking of the Mike’s, both were blessed with smiles that light a room. Skills that scare opponents. Hands that god himself must have created. And speaking of blessings. Buccaneers fans were blessed to call both men, theirs’.
