Evan Tatford

Photo by: Brad Kemp

Position:
TE
Ht./Wt.:
6-5 / 235
Class:
Junior
Hometown:
Lafayette, La.
High School:
St. Thomas More
Prev School:
Tulane

• 2015 Wuerffel Award Watch List Candidate
• SBC Representative on NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee

2014 (Junior): Reserve tight end and special teams member saw action in all 13 games in his first season with the Ragin' Cajuns ... earned a start in the Cajuns Sun Belt Conference win at New Mexico State (11/8) ... caught three passes on the season, averaging 11.0 yards per reception ... made his debut against Southern (8/30) with a 7-yard pass reception on the Cajuns' opening possession of the second half ... kept a drive alive at Boise State (9/20) with a season-high 14-yard grab from Hunter Stover after a botched snap on a potential field goal on fourth-and-14 ... caught a 12-yard pass against Texas State (10/14) ... named the UL Male Student-Athlete of the Year ... currently serving a two-year term as the Sun Belt Conference Representative on the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee ... named to the Sun Belt Conference's Leadership Team, which recognizes outstanding work off the field ... serves as a mentor for the UL LIFE program (Learning is For Everyone) ... appointed as one of seven voting SAAC Council members on the 2015-16 NCAA Division I Football Oversight Committee ... earned first letter.

2013 (Redshirt): Joined the program at the start of the 2013 spring semester and sat out the 2013 season to meet NCAA transfer guidelines.

Tulane: Two-year regular in the lineup for the Green Wave ... played in 24 games, making four starts ... saw action in all 13 games in 2012, starting four times as a tight end ... caught six passes for 20 yards ... grabbed four passes for 20 yards in the opener vs. Rutgers (9/1/12) ... later grabbed a pass for three yards vs. Tulsa (9/8/12) and one pass for a three-yard loss vs. the Cajuns ... made one catch for 38 yards as a freshman, that coming vs. Memphis (10/22/11) ... named to the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll as a freshman.

High School: First team all-state honoree as a senior at St. Thomas More High for coach Jim Hightower ... helped lead the Cougars to a combined 28-9 record with three straight trips to the state playoffs, including district titles his final two prep seasons and a trip to the state semifinals as a senior ... caught 27 passes for 327 yards and four touchdowns en route to earning all-district and All-Acadiana honors as a senior ... also earned the Eraste Autin Fighting Heart Award based on a vote of his teammates. . . hauled in six passes for 35 yards as a junior ... lettered three years in basketball ... rated a three-star recruit, received a scout grade of 75 and ranked the No. 64 tight end in the nation by ESPN.com ... a three-star recruit by Rivals.com and a two-star player by Scout.com.

Personal: Born July 31, 1992 in Lafayette, La. ... son of Leander and Doris Tatford ... is one of four children, having three brothers (Regan, Jefferies & Byrnes) ... his father played football for the Cajuns from 1973-76 ... his brothers have all played collegiate sports, Regan playing football at Army, Jefferies playing baseball for the Cajuns and Byrnes playing two years for the Cajuns ... Jefferies played professionally in the New York Mets organization (2007-08) ... was a member of National Honor Society and Student Council in high school ... served as an HOBY Leadership Ambassador and was honored as an all-state academic composite letterman ... earned the Rotary Club Award and U.S. Army Reserve Scholar Award ... biology major.