Tanner McEvoy (born January 26, 1993) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

as a

quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...

and

safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...

for the

Wisconsin Badgers The Wisconsin Badgers are the College athletics in the United States, athletic teams representing the University of Wisconsin–Madison. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I ...

Arizona Western College Arizona Western College (AWC) is a public community college in Yuma, Arizona. It offers associate degrees, occupational certificates, and transfer degrees. AWC also offers classes in Dateland, Parker, San Luis, Somerton, and Wellton. Aca ...

, and the

South Carolina Gamecocks The South Carolina Gamecocks represent the University of South Carolina in the NCAA Division I. The University of South Carolina uses "Gamecocks" as its official nickname and mascot. While the men's teams were traditionally known as the Fight ...

Early years

Born to Tina and Steve McEvoy, McEvoy grew up in

Hillsdale, New Jersey Hillsdale is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in the northern portion of Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's po ...

. He attended

Bergen Catholic High School Bergen Catholic High School is an all-male Roman Catholic high school in Oradell, in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grade. Bergen Catholic operates under the supervision of the Roman ...

Oradell, New Jersey Oradell is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 8,244, an increase of 266 (+3.3%) from the 2010 census count of 7,978, which in turn reflected a decline ...

, where he played

and basketball. McEvoy graduated from Bergen Catholic in 2011.

College career

McEvoy verbally committed to the

on January 20, 2011, to play quarterback. McEvoy

redshirted Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...

his first year on campus. On July 30, 2012, McEvoy was arrested in

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

and charged with speeding and driving after consuming alcohol while under age 21. On August 7, eight days after his arrest, McEvoy announced that he was going to transfer from South Carolina. McEvoy transferred to Arizona Western prior to start of 2012 season. McEvoy appeared in 10 games during the 2012 season at the

position passing for 2,301 yard with 29 touchdowns and rushing for six more. McEvoy transferred to the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

where he played from the 2013 season through the 2015 season. McEvoy played in 38 games splitting time between playing at

, and

Professional career

On January 13, 2016, McEvoy participated in the College Gridiron Showcase in

Bedford, Texas Bedford is a city located in northeastern Tarrant County, Texas, United States, in the "Mid-Cities" area between Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, Fort Worth. It is a suburb of Dallas and Fort Worth. The population was 49,928 at the 2020 United State ...

. Unfortunately, McEvoy did not receive an invitation to the

NFL Combine The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Foot ...

, most likely due to his time playing multiple positions at Wisconsin and not being a top prospect at a single position. On March 9, 2016, he attended Wisconsin's pro day, where he performed positional drills and combine drills, but chose not to run the 40-yard dash due to tendinitis in his knee. At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, McEvoy was projected to go undrafted and be signed as a free agent. He was ranked the 20th best wide receiver prospect by NFLDraftScout.com.

Seattle Seahawks

On May 1, 2016, the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...

signed McEvoy as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

after he went unselected in the

2016 NFL draft The 2016 NFL draft was the 81st annual draft of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park in Chicago. The draft beg ...

. The Seahawks signed him to a three-year, $1.62 million contract.

2016 season: Rookie year

Throughout rookie minicamp, organized team activities, and spring training, McEvoy was used at the safety position. Upon arriving at training camp, he was moved to wide receiver and competed for a roster spot against

Kenny Lawler Kenneth James Lawler, Jr. (born June 25, 1994) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL dra ...

Antwan Goodley Antwan Fontain Goodley Jr. (born September 6, 1991) is an American professional football wide receiver. He played college football at Baylor. Early life Goodley attended Midland High School in Midland, Texas Midland is a city in the U.S. ...

, Deshon Foxx,

Kasen Williams Kasen Williams (born December 5, 1992) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Washington Huskies. Early life Williams attended Skyli ...

, Tyler Slavin,

Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. He came to prominence with the low-budget buddy comedy film ''Clerks (film), Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, co-produced, and acted i ...

, and Douglas McNeil. Head coach Pete Carroll tried him out at tight end after

Jimmy Graham Jimmy Graham (born November 24, 1986) is an American professional American football, football tight end. He was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the third round of the 2010 NFL draft. Graham has also been a member of the Seattle Seahawks, G ...

and

Nick Vannett Nick Vannett (born March 6, 1993) is an American professional football tight end. He played college football at Ohio State and was a member of the Buckeyes team that won the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship. Vannett was selec ...

suffered injuries and

Cooper Helfet Cooper Winston Helfet (born June 2, 1989) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Duke Blue Devils and was signed by the Seattle Seahawks ...

was waived. In his first preseason game against the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

, McEvoy caught a 37-yard touchdown pass from

Trevone Boykin Trevone Dequan Boykin (born August 22, 1993) is an American professional football quarterback for the Galgos de Tijuana of the Mexican Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA). He played college football for the TCU Horned Frogs, twice earni ...

as time expired, along with two other receptions to total 77-yards. The Seahawks went on to win 17–16 after scoring on the subsequent

two-point conversion In gridiron football, a two-point conversion, two-point convert, or two-point attempt is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point conversion immediately after it scores a touchdown. In a two-point conversion attempt, the team that ...

. Despite missing some time in training camp with a

groin In human anatomy, the groin, also known as the inguinal region or iliac region, is the junctional area between the torso and the thigh. The groin is at the front of the body on either side of the pubic tubercle, where the lower part of the abdom ...

injury, McEvoy avoided the Seahawks' practice squad and won the fifth wide receiver position, beating out Kenny Lawler. Head coach

Pete Carroll Peter Clay Carroll (born September 15, 1951) is an American professional American football, football coach who is the head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as head coach for the NCAA's ...

made him the fifth wide receiver on the Seahawks' depth chart behind veterans

Doug Baldwin Douglas Dewayne Baldwin Jr. (born September 21, 1988) is an American former professional American football, football player who spent his entire eight-season career as a wide receiver with the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (N ...

Tyler Lockett Tyler Deron Lockett (born September 28, 1992) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats. He played 10 seasons in t ...

Jermaine Kearse Jermaine Levan Kearse (born February 6, 1990) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Washington Huskies. Kearse was ...

and Paul Richardson. McEvoy made his NFL debut in the Seahawks' season-opening 12-10 victory over the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...

. On October 2, 2016, McEvoy made his first NFL reception for a 42-yard touchdown during the Seahawks' 27–17 victory at the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

. He made the catch on a pass from

Russell Wilson Russell Carrington Wilson (born November 29, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He has primarily played for the Seattle Seahawks. With the Sea ...

after Jets' safety

Calvin Pryor Calvin Starlin Pryor III (born July 2, 1992) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played col ...

blew his zone coverage and fell down, allowing McEvoy to become wide open for a 42-yard touchdown. During a Week 7 matchup at the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...

, McEvoy blocked a punt attempt by Cardinals' punter Ryan Quigley in the fourth quarter that was recovered by Seahawks' defensive end

Cassius Marsh Cassius Lee Marsh Sr. (born July 7, 1992) is an American former professional football linebacker. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and was selected by the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL) in the fourth round o ...

. The blocked punt and recovery helped send the game into overtime with a 3–3 tie, but resulted in a 6–6 tie at the end of the game. The following week, McEvoy received a lateral from Russell Wilson and threw his first career pass attempt for a 43-yard completion to running back

C. J. Prosise Calvin "C. J." Prosise Jr. (born May 20, 1994) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft. He ...

in the second quarter of the Seahawks' 25–20 loss at the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

. On December 11, 2016, he had a season-high three receptions for 41 receiving yards and scored a 22-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter of a 38–10 loss at the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

. He finished his rookie season with a total of nine receptions for 140 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 14 games and zero starts. McEvoy was a healthy scratch for Weeks 2 and 10.

2017 season

McEvoy returned to training camp in 2017 and competed with Kenny Lawler, Amara Darboh,

Marcus Lucas Marcus Lucas (born March 1, 1992) is a former American football tight end. He was signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2014. He played college football at Missouri. College career Lucas played college football for the M ...

David Moore David Moore or Dave Moore may refer to: Politics * David E. Moore (1798-1875), American politician in Virginia * David Moore (Australian politician) (1824–1898), politician in Sandridge, Victoria, Australia * David Moore (Manx politician), ...

, Kasen Williams, Rodney Smith, Darreus Rogers, and Cyril Grayson. He became the Seahawks' fourth wide receiver, behind Doug Baldwin, Paul Richardson, and Tyler Lockett, after the Seahawks traded Jermaine Kearse to the

. On October 29, 2017, McEvoy made a 53-yard reception during Seattle's 41–38 victory over the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...

. During a Week 12 contest at the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

, he had a season-high two catches for 32 receiving yards in a 24–13 victory. Overall, in the 2017 season, he finished with five receptions for 113 yards. On August 26, 2018, McEvoy was waived by the Seahawks.

New Orleans Saints

On August 29, 2018, McEvoy was signed by the

. He was waived on September 1, 2018.

Miami Dolphins

On September 2, 2018, McEvoy was claimed off waivers by the

. He was waived on September 25, 2018.

New Orleans Saints (second stint)

On October 2, 2018, McEvoy was signed to the New Orleans Saints' practice squad. He was released on October 17, 2018.

Buffalo Bills

On December 12, 2018, McEvoy was signed to the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...

practice squad.

Tennessee Titans

On July 31, 2019, McEvoy signed with the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...

. He was waived on August 31, 2019.

Tampa Bay Vipers

On October 16, 2019, McEvoy was selected by the

Tampa Bay Vipers The Vegas Vipers were a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Vipers competed in the XFL football league. The team was founded by Vince McMahon's Alpha Entertainment as the Tampa Bay Vipers and were owned-and-oper ...

in the 2020 XFL Supplemental Draft. As a primarily specials teamer and depth player, McEvoy caught one pass for 11 yards in 5 games played. He had his contract terminated when the league suspended operations on April 10, 2020.

Personal life

McEvoy graduated from the

with a degree in sociology in December 2015. His brother, Colin, played college football at Rutgers. His sister, Christin, attended the College of Charleston in South Carolina.

References

External links

Seattle Seahawks bio

Wisconsin Badgers bio

{{DEFAULTSORT:McEvoy, Tanner 1993 births Living people People from Hillsdale, New Jersey Players of American football from Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen Catholic High School alumni American football wide receivers South Carolina Gamecocks football players Arizona Western Matadors football players Wisconsin Badgers football players Seattle Seahawks players New Orleans Saints players Miami Dolphins players Tennessee Titans players Tampa Bay Vipers players