Troy Evans (American football)
A special teams ace and linebacker whose perseverance earned him a Super Bowl ring with the New Orleans Saints after beginning as an undrafted free agent.
Born 1977 (age 49)·American football player·Birthday: December 3·Generation X
Biography
Troy Evans's path to professional football was not guaranteed. Coming out of the University of Cincinnati, he went undrafted, a hurdle that defines many careers before they start. He signed with the St. Louis Rams, making the team not as a heralded prospect but through sheer special teams grit. Evans built a reputation as a player who would fly down the field on coverage units, a blue-collar role that demands a specific kind of toughness. His journey culminated in New Orleans, where he joined the Saints in 2009. That season, he was a core part of the squad's historic run, contributing on special teams as the franchise captured its first Super Bowl victory, a testament to the value of role players in building a championship team.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Troy was born in 1977, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Troy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1977
#1 Movie
Star Wars
Best Picture
Annie Hall
#1 TV Show
Happy Days
Troy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1977Born
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1982Started school
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1990Became a teenager
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Could drive
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1995Could vote
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1998Turned 21
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2007Turned 30
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 40
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 49 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won Super Bowl XLIV as a member of the New Orleans Saints in the 2009 season.
- Played eight seasons in the NFL as a linebacker and special teams contributor.
- Led the New Orleans Saints in special teams tackles during the 2009 Super Bowl-winning campaign.
Did You Know?
He was a standout linebacker at the University of Cincinnati, earning All-Conference USA honors.
Evans originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the St. Louis Rams in 2002.
He is a member of the New Orleans Saints' 2009 Super Bowl team, a landmark moment for the franchise.
“I made my living by outworking everyone else on kickoff coverage.”
