James A. Evans - Inducted 2013

A lifelong Rapid Citian, Evans was one of the state’s greatest football players, then helped the Rapid City Post 22 baseball team become one of the nation’s finest programs.

The 1951 Rapid City High grad was selected as a tackle on the state’s all-time high school football team  in 1969. Rapid City High lost only once in Evans’ three years.

At Nebraska, he played  for  four years (offensive and defensive tackle), including the 1955 Orange Bowl (there were only four bowl games in those years). The 6-foot, 237-pounder also kicked for the Huskers, and he was offered  pro tryouts as a kicker.

As a football coach, he was an assistant  one year at Nebraska, three years at South Dakota School of Mines and two years at Black Hills State.

He was the coach of the Rapid City Legion baseball team for seven years (1953-59), and  was a full-time assistant (hitting coach and outfield coach) to coach Dave Ploof from 1972-93 as Post 22 became one of the most dominant programs in the nation.  Rapid City won 18 state titles in a row from 1970-87 and won the national title in 1993. After 1993, Evans quit traveling with the team but continued to assist part-time until 2011.