Mike Evans butts heads with OBJ nemesis, gets ejected for ‘disrespectfully addressing the official’
By Nick Cole
Published:
Remember when Carolina Panthers CB Josh Norman got under the skin of former LSU WR Odell Beckham Jr.?
That drew a dirty hit to the head that resulted in a suspension for the Giants’ star wideout.
Well, Norman was back under the skin of another former SEC wide receiver on Sunday.
This time, it was Tampa Bay WR Mike Evans.
The former Aggies WR had 99 yards receiving in a loss to the Panthers, but was caught up in drama with Norman for much of the day.
Here’s a look at the two having to be separated before heading to the locker room at halftime:
Looks like the @Panthers @J_No24 and @TBBuccaneers @MikeEvans13_ have some unfinished business at the break @wcnc pic.twitter.com/kH0XNphSz5
— Chris Clark (@ChrisClark_) January 3, 2016
Things got worse for Evans late in the game, when his temper boiled over and he was ejected from the game for arguing for a pass interference call from an official.
Tampa Bay Times writer Greg Auman reported that Evans had the following to say about the ejection:
“I lost my cool,” Evans said. “I thought it was an obvious pass interference call. I didn’t get it, and I thought it was because we were getting blown out. That’s all I told the ref. He told me ‘Don’t bring my … over there’ to talk to him. I was like, ‘That’s some BS.’
“I don’t think I did enough to get ejected, but I’ll take the punishment. … I’ve seen people do way worse. It is what it is. I guess the way I play, passionate throughout the year, they want to get me.”
Auman noted it was just another frustrating mistake for Evans, who led the league in penalties by a wide receiver:
Bucs' Mike Evans was NFL's most penalized receiver going into final weekend. Finished year with 10 penalties, including two Sunday …
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) January 4, 2016
Nick Cole is a former print journalist with several years of experience covering the SEC. Born and raised in SEC country, he has taken in the game-day experience at all 14 stadiums.
