The Army Black Knights became bowl-eligible this past Saturday by becoming the first opponent to beat UTSA in a conference game at the Alamodome since 2020. However, this streak was not the biggest streak broken Saturday even. TE Parker Poloskey also became the first Army tight end to score a touchdown since 2008 with his four-yard touchdown catch to put the Black Knights ahead for good in Saturday’s game. Commentary noted this statistical oddity during the game, and it even caught the attention of major news outlets such as Front Office Sports and The Sporting News.
While many have taken notice of the tight ends’ increasing roles in Army’s offense, few have asked who the last touchdown-scoring tight end was for the Black Knights. But questions like this are why we’re here at As For Football.
TE Mike Evans might have caught just 13 passes in his Army career, but he found a way to etch his name into one of Army football’s most iconic moments while also becoming the answer to a trivia question. Evans’ two-yard touchdown catch became the lone bright spot in an otherwise embarrassing, 34-10, loss to New Hampshire way back in 2008. No one knew it at the time, but this would become the only touchdown catch by an Army tight end for the next *17* years. Surprisingly, this might not even have been the most noteworthy catch of Evans’s career.
Four of Evans’s 13 career catches came against well-known ACC programs Boston College, Georgia Tech, and Wake Forest. Another three came at Huntington Bank Field, the home of the Cleveland Browns, in 2007’s season opener against Akron. Any incoming plebe football player would dream of catching passes on any one of these stages, but none of these receptions became as important as the catch Evans made against Tulane.
Many Army fans fondly remember Kevin Dunn’s miracle Hail Mary pass to Mike Wright in 2007, aptly dubbed “The Michie Miracle.” However, few fans, if any, remember Mike Evans’ catch to put Army in position to attempt that fateful throw. Evans caught a 17-yard pass to put Army at the Tulane 36-yard line with eight seconds left. As they say, the rest is history. Without Mike Evans, we would not have the Michie Miracle.
Evans’s two-yard touchdown catch became one of just three passing touchdowns Army scored in 2008 and was the last reception of his career. His 13 career catches gained him 150 yards and that lone touchdown against New Hampshire.
Evans’ penchant for returning squib kicks also earned him another intriguing statline. Across his career, he returned six kicks for 61 yards. For reference, current Black Knight kick returner Lloyd Benson III returned five kicks for 61 yards last year. Evans’ average is just two yards off. Not bad for a tight end.
Despite his relatively minor statistical numbers, Evans fit a good many highlights into his thirteen catches. His two-yard touchdown catch in 2008 and Parker Polskey’s game-winning score show the gradual climb the tight end position has made in the 18 years since Army returned to the triple option. After nearly two decades, the position itself has come full circle. With America’s Game on the horizon, might we see more from Army’s tight ends in their next contest? We’ll have to wait and see.
Go Army! BEAT Navy!!!
