Football | 8/24/2018 1:34:00 PM

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – Former Bloomsburg University and NFL great Jahri Evans '07 has committed $500,000 for a new LED video scoreboard for Danny Hale Field at Redman Stadium. The new board will be dedicated before the opening kickoff at the Huskies' home opener on Sept. 1.
 
"On behalf of the entire BU family, I thank Jahri Evans for his generous gift in support of a new scoreboard," said BU president Bashar W. Hanna. "He has been a passionate donor to the University for many years. We are grateful to Jahri not only for his support of this project, but also his previous support of academic scholarships for students in financial need."
 
The Jahri Evans Scoreboard, an American-made product manufactured by Daktronics of Brookings, South Dakota, stands more than 23 feet tall and 31 feet wide and will provide an enhanced fan experience when watching games at Redman Stadium. The LED videoboard has video, graphical, and instant replay capabilities, previously unseen at the stadium. It also comes with a brand-new sound system to further enhance the game day environment.
 
"The addition of the new 'Jahri Evans Scoreboard' is a tremendous benefit for our football and track and field student-athletes, a welcome adjustment to the Husky athletics program, an exciting new game environment enhancement for our fans, and a boast for the University to remain a leader in the PSAC," Dr. Michael McFarland, Director of Athletics said.  "Partnering with Daktronics and the BU Foundation has made this project a reality that could not have been done without the support of Jahri and we cannot thank him enough."
 
Evans' philanthropic efforts have been plentiful at his alma mater as this marks his second major gift to the University. He previously contributed $500,000 to the First & Goal Campaign to endow a football scholarship. On Aug. 31, he will be inducted into the Bloomsburg Wall of Distinction, an area located on the academic quadrangle where the University recognizes donors who have had an incredible impact on Bloomsburg and contributed $1 million or more. Evans will also be inducted into the Bloomsburg University Athletic Hall of Fame on Oct. 19.
 
His philanthropy, however, is not strictly focused at Bloomsburg as he has generously donated time and resources primarily to his hometown of Philadelphia and to where he spent most of his playing days in the National Football League – New Orleans.
 
In 2008, The Jahri Evans Foundation was created to illustrate to student-athletes that academic excellence paves the way to athletic excellence through encouragement, determination, and hard work. The Jahri Evans Foundation is dedicated to enriching the lives of youth by improving their quality of education and promoting the overall health, safety, and physical fitness of all children. Evans and his foundation have sponsored free youth football and cheerleading camps each year in Philadelphia with more than 325 youth participating annually. Evans also assists former Bloomsburg assistant coach, Brian McBryan, at the annual McBryan Clinic which is designed to give high school offensive linemen the skills they need to be successful.
 
He and his foundation have provided more than $1.5 million in charitable donations to date including donations to The Philadelphia School District and the building and rebuilding of homes along with Habitat for Humanity, The Wounded Warrior Project, United Way, and Operation Home in New Orleans for residents and military veterans as well as donations to many other youth organizations and community groups.
 
The Frankford Alumni Association awarded Evans with The Pioneer Achievement Award in 2010 for distinguished leadership, achievement, and service and in 2014, he was awarded The Hope Award given by The Irving Morris Foundation for his many charitable donations, his concern with the welfare of others and his support, time, dedication, and generosity and love in helping our communities thrive.
 
On the field, Evans was one of the most decorated offensive linemen to put on a Bloomsburg football jersey and then went on to have a prolific career in the National Football League, primarily playing for the New Orleans Saints. He spent the 2017 season with the Green Bay Packers.
 
Evans took over as a full-time starter on the Huskies' offensive line in 2003 but it was in 2004 that the awards started rolling in for the left tackle. He was an American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) First Team All-American as a junior while earning Second Team All-American honors from both the Associated Press and from the Don Hansen Football Gazette. Then, as a senior in 2005, Evans helped the Huskies to an average of 284.3 rushing yards per game – eighth-most in the country. He went on to earn First Team All-American honors from five different organizations – the AFCA, Daktronics, Don Hansen Football Gazette, Associated Press, and D2Football.com. He was also a finalist for the Gene Upshaw Award, which honors the nation's top lineman in Division II, in each of his last two seasons.
 
He earned both the Danny Litwhiler Award as Bloomsburg's Male Underclass Athlete of the Year in 2005 and the Robert B. Redman Award as Bloomsburg's Male Senior Athlete of the Year in 2006.
 
Evans was then selected in the fourth round (108th overall) by the New Orleans Saints in the 2006 NFL Draft, becoming the first Huskies' player chosen in the draft since 1992. He was selected to six consecutive Pro Bowls (2009-14) and was named a First Team All-Pro in four consecutive seasons from 2009-12 while earning Second Team All-Pro accolades in 2013. Evans was also named to the Pro Football Weekly All-Rookie Team in 2006, was a two-time Madden Most Valuable Protectors Award recipient (2009, 2011), and was a member of the New Orleans Saints' 50th Anniversary Team in 2016.
 
Among Saints' offensive linemen, his six Pro Bowl appearances ranks second all-time in team history. He also ranks second all-time in Saints' history with 169 career games played. He helped the Saints finish in the top six in the league in total offense in all 11 of his seasons (2006-2016), including six number-one rankings. He also helped New Orleans finish in the top ten in scoring in nine of his 11 seasons, including number one rankings in 2008 and 2009. Evans was named to his first Pro Bowl and earned First Team All-Pro recognition for the first time in 2009 – a season that was capped off with the Saints' victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.
 
Evans graduated from Bloomsburg in 2007 with a degree in exercise science. In 2009, he established a full scholarship for out-of-state minority students enrolled in Bloomsburg's master of science clinical athletic training program. The Jahri Evans Football Endowed Scholarship was then established in 2014 and will carry on forever. In 2017, Evans received his MBA from The University of Miami in executive business administration. He is also part owner of the Philadelphia Soul Arena Football League team and owns SOMO SoPhi Restaurant located in South Philadelphia.
 
Evans and his wife, Takia, welcomed their first child, Atlas, on March 16, 2018.
 
About Daktronics
Daktronics helps its customers to impact their audiences throughout the world with large-format LED video displays, message displays, scoreboards, digital billboards, audio systems and control systems in sport, business and transportation applications. Founded in 1968 as a USA-based manufacturing company, Daktronics has grown into the world leader in audiovisual systems and implementation with offices around the globe. Discover more at www.daktronics.com.