Dawson Evitts is a Kutztown alum who began his collegiate career at the JUCO level with Erie Community College. As a combo kicker/punter, he saw time at both positions and on kickoffs during his college career. Let’s take a look at his collegiate career, and his rookie year with the Indoor Football League.
Schuylkill Haven High School
Typically kickers are not the first players that come to mind when you think of athletic versatility. However, in this situation, Evitts might just deserve that title. During his high school career, he was a two-sport athlete playing both baseball and football.
During this time he not only kicked field goals, and extra points but handled kickoffs, and even punted once. He converted 10 of 15 field goal attempts and 143 of 155 extra points. He kicked off 200 times for just under 10,000 yards and 12 touchbacks in 36 games. All while being a two-sport athlete batting a .262 with an on-base percentage of .380.
Erie Community College
While at Erie CC, Evitts suited up in just 8 games and punted more than he kicked field goals finishing his only year at the JUCO level with:
12 punts for 283 yards
4 of 6 on field goals
5 of 7 on extra points
Kutztown University
This drew attention from larger schools and Evitts opted to make the jump to Kutztown University. This decision was made before knowing exactly what 2020 had in store for the world. With the football world shutting down, Evitts did not play in 2020 for his new school. He also would not see the field in 2021 having instead watched others take the field ahead of him patiently waiting his turn.
In 2022 his number was finally called after two long years of training without playing in a single game. He would suit up in 9 games attempting 11 field goals converting 8 with one being blocked. On extra points, he added another 23 points to his resume on 25 attempts. He attempted one kickoff but it sailed just 38 yards.
During the 2023 season, his last in college he would set career highs in field goal attempts, and conversions, point after attempts and conversions, and points scored in 15 games. He would finish 13 of 18 on field goals converting 41 of 44 extra points. He was not used on kickoffs in 2023 and never attempted another punt in a game since leaving Erie CC. With his college career over, he looked to begin his professional career but there are very few openings for kickers outdoors every season.
After college, he was invited to the FCS Bowl in Daytona Florida. This helped put him on the map for professional leagues but didn’t end with the interest he had hoped for outdoors.
Indoor Football League Rookie
This led him indoors to the Arizona Rattlers for the 2024 season. In his free time, he also helps train kickers which has him immersed in the finer points of the kicking and punting game nearly 24/7. With Arizona Evitts has shown accuracy isn’t a concern.
Playing in a league where you’re essentially trying to kick a football through the second-story window of your house with 8 defenders running at your football speed is not easy. These uprights are 15 feet in the air, and only 9 feet wide. Much like most things, half the size of their outdoor counterparts.
Some of the best kickers in the IFL often convert less than 50% of their field goals. Evitts however has been used early and often this season attempting 19 field goals and converting 13 with 2 blocked. Evitts has not missed multiple field goals in any game this season on his own accord. Against Iowa, they exploited a deficiency in Arizona’s front to block two kicks.
Evitts has also converted 81 of 88 extra points while handling kickoffs as well. He has kicked off 109 times for 5,394 yards with 3 deuces, 20 sailing out of bounds, and 2 touchbacks. Currently, the Rattlers are 4th in field goals converted, and first in point after attempts converted which has helped them to second in overall points.
A Closer Look at This Kicker’s Contributions
While collectively some may try to poke holes in the contributions of Evitts on a playoff team when you look more closely at what he has accomplished,..you begin to realize without Dawson Evitts, Arizona could have a losing record right now. He had an unbelievable run from weeks 11-14 where he was flawless and helped finish a four-game win streak. During this stretch, he produced 39 points while Arizona outscored their opponents 220 to 210. The Rattlers are currently 9-5.
In week 11 he converted a deuce, his only field goal attempt, and every extra point attempt collecting 11 points in a 2-point victory. In week 12 Evitts converted 9 of 9 extra point attempts. In week 13 Evitts and Connor Mangan put on a kicking clinic as both kickers were perfect on the day. Evitts converted all 6 of his extra point attempts and both field goal attempts scoring 12 points on a day that saw Arizona take the win by just one point. The following week Evitts was 7 for 7 on extra points in a 7-point victory. This past weekend Evitts managed to go 5 of 5 on extra points but missed his only field goal attempt. The special teams unit also managed a rouge on a kickoff producing another point. This was a 7-point game with just over 1:30 left in the 4th quarter.
By my count, Evitts has been the difference in no less than 6 wins accounting for 54 points in these games that were won by a collective 18 points. This included the game against Iowa where they blocked both his field goal attempts. He has a personal high of 13 points this season versus the Vegas Knighthawks in a week 2 loss by just two points. This was quickly followed by a 6-point loss to Bay Area in which he scored 11 points as well. Again this is a rookie kicker, kicking into uprights that are about half the width of outdoor uprights.
Looking to the UFL Showcases for his Next Opportunity
Evitts as you can tell isn’t shy about working his way up the ladder. He started out in JUCO and had to ride the bench for a year, before getting his chance. Now in 2024, he will attempt to climb the ladder as a professional. The IFL previously had a partnership with the XFL, one that fell by the wayside somewhat with the merger, but it’s safe to say these UFL teams are watching the IFL looking for the next great diamond in the rough.
The next diamond they unearth might just be Dawson Evitts unless a CFL team comes calling first.
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