Ethan Evans entered the NFL with the kind of leg strength that made booming punts look routine. Now entering his fourth season with the Los Angeles Rams, Evans has learned that distance alone does not define a successful punt.
“It used to be crushing a ball, just absolutely nuking a punt,” Evans told LAFB Network. “But in the NFL, field position is everything.”
That shift in perspective has shaped Evans’ work during training camp. His primary focus this offseason has been increasing his hang time, giving the Rams’ coverage unit more time to reach the returner.
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“I’ve constantly tried to work on that every year, and it’s gotten better each year,” Evans said. “Even if I don’t hit a 60-yard punt, it can stay high in the air so our gunners can get downfield, cover and limit the return yards.”
Evans still possesses the power that helped him reach the NFL out of Wingate University. The Rams have not attempted to remove that part of his game or dramatically change the strength-training routine that helped build it.
Rams Punter Ethan Evans Harnessing His Power
Evans said the staff has reduced some of his heaviest lifting but still allows him to train in a way that feels natural.
“We’re not squatting 800 pounds or anything, but they still let me lift heavy,” Evans said. “The strength staff is awesome. They monitor me and make sure I’m taking care of my body while lifting heavy weights.”
His approach to punting remains similarly straightforward. While some punters carefully calculate every condition, Evans prefers to study how the ball travels during warmups and trust his feel once the game begins.
“I’m a super simple guy,” Evans said. “I go out during pregame and see how the ball is flying. Once I figure that out, I know which balls to hit depending on the direction. I don’t try to think about it too much.”
That simplicity also helps Evans handle pressure. His first NFL game in Seattle exposed him to a crowd unlike anything he experienced at Wingate, where he said the stadium held approximately 2,000 people.
Evans remembers preparing for a kickoff, looking into the stands and seeing roughly 70,000 fans.
“That was a pretty eye-opening experience,” Evans said. “It was really cool.”
When he takes the field now, Evans relies on repetition to block out the noise.
“I kind of black out and let my muscle memory take over,” Evans said. “I’ve hit thousands upon thousands of punts, so my body knows what to do.”
That experience has made his fourth training camp feel far less chaotic than his first. Evans now understands the routine, knows what the coaching staff expects, and has built relationships within the Rams’ special teams unit.
He described Joe Cardona and Harrison Mevis as laid-back teammates who help keep the group relaxed despite the limited number of opportunities specialists receive each game.
“We only get to go onto the field five to eight times per game,” Evans said. “We don’t get 60 snaps, so we try to keep each other calm.”
But that relaxed dynamic does not eliminate competition. According to Evans, the specialists will compete over nearly anything, from placing a ball closest to the kicking bag to seeing who can throw a balled-up piece of paper into a trash can from the farthest distance.
That personality also appears in the weight room. When asked which teammate he would trust to spot him during a maximum squat, Evans selected Myles Garrett.
“If I fail the lift, he’s just going to curl it with one arm,” Evans joked.
Evans may always enjoy sending a punt soaring downfield, but his priorities have matured. The most satisfying result is no longer the punt that travels the farthest. It is the one that puts the Rams in the strongest position.
“Pinning a ball inside the 5-yard line or at the 1-yard line is probably the most satisfying feeling you can get in the NFL,” Evans said.