by Rusty Ellis
Photos Courtesy of Ross Fanning
Upperman senior Evan Briggs signed his national letter of intent for Bethel University on Friday, as the senior lineman will join the Wildcats’ program after graduation.
Briggs says it’s a moment he’s worked hard for since day one of stepping onto the high school field, a moment the senior is certainly proud of.
“It’s a really big deal to me, I’ve always wanted this opportunity,” Briggs said. “I’ve been starting for all four years, and it means a lot to me to be here today…(Bethel) felt like home, Coach (Michael) Jasper reached out to me and he was offensive lineman himself, who played in the NFL, so I really respected his opinion. He said I was a good football player, and that meant a lot to me, personally.”
Upperman head coach Adam Caine has seen Briggs up-close for four years, and in his words, he’s been an instrumental piece in everything the Bees have accomplished over the last four seasons.
“Briggs made an immediate impact for us as a freshman, he started both ways,” Caine said. “Immediately, he was that guy…played a bigger role the last two seasons. 14-1 their season year, Briggs had a big part in bringing that about. It’s no big secret we like to run the football, and him playing right tackle for four years was kind of a security blanket that we had, and it was an amazing run for him.”
Caine says he noticed the comfort level for Briggs with Bethel, and that was ultimately a sign that it was the right place for him.
“Briggs is going to be ready wherever he goes, I think he really felt comfortable at Bethel,” Caine said. “I think they see him being able to compete for some time early on, and that’s going to be really important for him. I think he’s in a really good spot.”
Briggs mentions the bonds he built with his teammates as something he’ll miss about Baxter, as he says he hopes that he can run into his teammates further down the road and carry on like no time has passed.
“I came here, I didn’t really have any friends when I got here because I didn’t go to Baxter for middle school,” Briggs said. “Coach Caine is one of the best coaches I’ve ever played for and if anyone says anything otherwise, they’re wrong. You don’t get to experience anything like this in any other sport in my opinion, it’s a brotherhood that will last a lifetime.”