Evan Mathias Royster(born November 26, 1987) is an American former professionalfootballrunning back.He was selected in the sixth round of the2011 NFL draftby theWashington Redskins.He playedcollege footballatPenn State University,where he was a three-year starter and an all-time leading rusher.[1]

Evan Royster
refer to caption
Royster at Redskins training camp in 2012
No. 35, 22
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born:(1987-11-26)November 26, 1987(age 37)
Fairfax, Virginia,U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:212 lb (96 kg)
Career information
High school:Chantilly (VA) Westfield
College:Penn State
NFL draft:2011/ round: 6 / pick: 177
Career history
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Rushing attempts:81
Rushing yards:416
Rushing touchdowns:2
Receptions:25
Receiving yards:180
StatsatPro Football Reference

Early life

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Royster attendedWestfield High SchoolinChantilly, Virginia,where he totalled 6,384 yards on 750 carries (8.5 avg.) and 90 touchdowns and helped Westfield win three Concorde District Championships. As a sophomore, he ran for 1,690 yards and 22 touchdowns leading Westfield to their first state championship in school history. He added 2,160 yards and 30 touchdowns in his junior year. During his senior year, Royster amassed 2,200 rushing yards and again tallied 30 touchdowns. He was a first-team all-state selection andThe Washington Postfirst-team All-Met.[citation needed]

Regarded as a three-star recruit byRivals.com,Royster was listed as the #26 running back prospect in the class of 2006. He chose Penn State over offers fromMaryland,Nebraska,andVirginia Tech.[2]

While at Westfield High School, Royster was one of the most covetedlacrosseprospects in the country.[3]He scored 33 goals as a senior and played in the prestigious North-South All-American Lacrosse all-star game.[1]He was heavily recruited by traditional lacrosse powerhouses such asVirginiaandJohns Hopkins.[3]

Royster became the second player in Westfield Bulldog football history to have his jersey retired. The Bulldogs retired Royster's #24 jersey during halftime of a 2012 game when the Bulldogs went up against Fairfax High School Rebels. Royster's #24 was second to Eddie Royal's #5 when Royal had his jersey retired in 2009 when the Bulldogs went up against the Chantilly High School Chargers.[citation needed]

College career

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Royster getting the ball handed off to him fromDaryll Clarkin 2007.

Roysterredshirtedduring his freshmen year atPenn State.[4]Royster, recruited out ofVirginia,chose Penn State over other NCAAFootball Bowl Subdivision(formerly known as Division I-A) programs across the country like theVirginia Tech Hokies,theNebraska Cornhuskers,theFlorida Gatorsand theMaryland Terrapins.[5]

Royster made hiscollege footballdebut on September 1, 2007, against theFIU Golden Pantherswith eight carries for 70 yards and a touchdown.[6]He played a significant role in the Penn State offense for the2007 season.He was the second leading rusher behindRodney Kinlaw,rushing for 513 yards on 82 carries for a 5.3 yards per carry average.[7]He scored the Nittany Lions' last go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter of the2007 Alamo Bowlagainst theTexas A&M Aggieson a 38-yard carry.[8]

Royster made his season debut against theCoastal Carolina Chanticleerson August 30, 2008, atBeaver Stadium.Royster and the offense helped guide the Nittany Lions to a 66-10 defeat ofDivision I FCSChanticleers. Royster saw limited action in the rout. He had 64 yards on eight carries for a career-high threetouchdowns.[9]Royster was pulled from the game following his third touchdown at the beginning of the third quarter when Coach Paterno sat all his starters in favor of the backups. In the following game, against theOregon State Beavers,Royster put up 141 yards on 17 carries. He added three touchdowns in the 45-14 blowout win before being taken out of the game.[10]He was named the Big Ten Co-Offensive player of the week.[11]Royster had his second straight 100-yard game against theSyracuse Orangeon September 13, 2008. He gained 101 yards on 13 carries in the 55-13 victory.[12]On September 27, Royster picked up 139 yards on 19 carries in Penn State's 38-24 win overIllinois.[13]In the following game, Royster powered Penn State pastPurduewith 141 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. He added 53 receiving yards on four catches.[14]Against theMichigan Wolverines(who had beaten Penn State nine straight times leading into the October 17 tilt), Royster set a career rushing high. Royster ran for 174 yards on 18 carries, with a 44-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. He added three catches for 13 yards in the 46-17 homecoming victory.[15]Royster finished the 2008 season with 191 carries for 1,236 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns to go along with 17 receptions for 155 receiving yards in 13 games.[16]

In the third game of the 2009 season, againstTemple,Royster rushed 19 times for 134 yards in the 31–6 victory.[17]On October 3, againstIllinois,he recorded 105 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown in the 35–17 victory.[18]In three games againstMinnesota,Michigan,andNorthwestern,he recorded at least 100 rushing yards in each, all victories.[19][20][21]Following Penn State's victory at the2010 Capital One BowloverLSU,Royster announced that he would forgo the2010 NFL draftand play his senior year at Penn State.[22]

On September 25, 2010, Royster had 26 carries for 187 rushing yards in the 22–13 victory overTemple.[23]On October 30, he had 29 carries for 150 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns againstMichiganin the 41–31 victory.[24]In the following game, againstNorthwestern,he had 25 carries for 134 rushing yards to go along with a receiving touchdown in the 35–21 victory.[25]Royster completed his senior season as Penn State's all-time leading rusher having passedCurt Warner's nearly 30-year-old record during theMichigangame.[26]He completed the season with 1,014 rushing yards, making him the only Penn State running back with three 1,000+ yard seasons.[27]His career totals amounted to 3,932 yards on 686 carries, with 29 rushingtouchdowns.[28]

Royster was selected to play in the 86thEast-West Shrine Gameplayed on January 22, 2011, at theCitrus Bowl StadiuminOrlando, Florida.[29]

College statistics

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Year Team Rushing Receiving
Att Yards Average TDs Receptions Yards TDs
2006 Penn State Redshirt
2007 Penn State 82 513 6.3 5 3 18 0
2008 Penn State 191 1,236 6.5 12 17 155 0
2009 Penn State 205 1,169 5.7 6 16 187 2
2010 Penn State 208 1,014 4.9 6 25 202 1
Career 686 3,932 5.7 29 61 562 3

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 0 in
(1.83 m)
212 lb
(96 kg)
3034 914 4.65 s 1.59 s 2.64 s 4.18 s 7.07 s 34.0 in
(0.86 m)
9 ft 5 in
(2.87 m)
20 reps
All values fromNFL Combine[30][31]

Washington Redskins

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2011 season

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Royster (center) at Redskins training camp in 2011.

Royster was selected in the sixth round with the 177th overall pick in the2011 NFL draftby theWashington Redskins.[32] He was expected to compete with former Redskins' running back,Ryan Torain,and fellow 2011 Redskins' draftee,Roy Helu,but Royster did not make the 53-man roster and was cut on September 3. On September 4, 2011, Royster was signed to the practice squad.[33] He was elevated to the Redskins active roster on November 22, 2011, when the Redskins waivedTashard ChoicefollowingTim Hightower's season-ending injury.[34] In Week 12 against theSeattle Seahawks,Royster made his NFL debut. Royster would have his first career start in Week 16 against theMinnesota Vikings,getting 132 yards on only 19 carries.[35] In Week 17 against thePhiladelphia Eagles,Royster recorded 113 yards on 20 carries while suffering rib injuries.[36] At the end of his rookie season, Royster recorded 328 yards on 56 carries making him the second leader in rushing yards behind fellow rookie,Roy Helu,and beating the original starting running back,Tim Hightower.[37][38]

2012 season

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Royster was expected to compete for the starting spot in the2012 seasonagainstRoy HeluandTim Hightower,[39]but lost the competition to rookieAlfred Morris.Before starting the season, he changed his jersey number to 22, his college jersey number.[40]He scored his first career touchdown in Week 9 against theCarolina Panthers.[41]In the Week 15 win over theCleveland Browns,he scored his second career touchdown.[42]He appeared in all 16 games. He had 23 carries for 88 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to go along with 15 receptions for 109 receiving yards in the 2012 season.[43]

2013 season

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With the return of Helu, Royster was made the third-string running back and played more on special teams.[44]He was placed on injured reserve after suffering a high ankle sprain after the Week 14 loss to theKansas City Chiefs.[45]

2014 season

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The Redskins released Royster on August 30, 2014, for final roster cuts before the start of the2014 season,losing the third-string running back position to former Penn State teammate,Silas Redd.[46]

Atlanta Falcons

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Royster signed with theAtlanta Falconson August 16, 2015.[47]He was waived/injured by the Falcons on August 26, 2015.[48]On the following day, he cleared waivers and was reverted to the Falcons' injured reserve list.[49]

Personal life

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On May 30, 2014, Evan married his longtime girlfriend Jaclyn McDonald. Evan is the younger brother of formerParadeAll-AmericanandStanfordwide receiverBrandon Royster.[50]He is also the younger brother of Cosmo's 2008 Virginia Bachelor Kyle Royster.[51]

References

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  1. ^ab"22 Evan Royster".Pennsylvania State University.Archivedfrom the original on September 3, 2008.RetrievedAugust 30,2008.
  2. ^"Evan Royster, 2006 Running Back".Rivals.com.Archivedfrom the original on March 15, 2023.RetrievedMarch 15,2023.
  3. ^abViera, Mark (October 9, 2008)."Laying Down Lacrosse Stick and Picking Up Penn State".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on January 22, 2019.RetrievedOctober 10,2008.
  4. ^Taylor, Chris (August 9, 2019)."Only Evan Royster Until Penn State Football".Black Shoe Diaries.Archivedfrom the original on November 28, 2022.RetrievedMarch 16,2023.
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  26. ^Cassavell, Andrew J. (November 1, 2010)."Royster breaks rushing record".The Daily Collegian.Archivedfrom the original on March 17, 2023.RetrievedMarch 16,2023.
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  35. ^Maese, Rick (December 24, 2011)."Evan Royster has breakout performance for Washington Redskins".WashingtonPost.com.Archivedfrom the original on March 11, 2016.RetrievedDecember 24,2011.
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