NATCHITOCHES – When Ed Evans stepped into the role of Northwestern State's director of sports medicine, he had the unenviable task of replacing a legendary figure.
 
All Evans did in more than two decades as Northwestern's head athletic trainer was leave an impact that extended that of his predecessor, Eugene Christmas.
 
Evans died late Tuesday night after a brief illness. Services are pending.
 
"When I think of Ed Evans, three things immediately come to mind -- he did a remarkable job of following in the footsteps of one of the most revered individuals in NSU history, Eugene "Doc" Christmas; he influenced the career of countless athletic training graduate assistants and staff members who worked and learned under his mentorship; and he loved everything about sports medicine, most notably the connection with student-athletes and especially when it involved working with them physically and mentally to overcome an injury and return to competition," said former Northwestern Director of Athletics Greg Burke, who worked side by side with Evans for most of the latter's 23 years as a Demon.
 
"Ed Evans' passing is a sad day for NSU Athletics and for the Natchitoches community. My condolences go out to his wife, Chris, as well as to their three sons."
 
Evans helmed Northwestern's sports medicine program as head athletic trainer from 1989-2012 after serving as a graduate assistant under Christmas and seven years as the athletic trainer at Natchitoches Central High School. Evans succeeded Christmas in the summer of 1989.
 
As a mentor to countless student and graduate assistants who eventually moved into the athletic training profession themselves, Evans was a leader in the athletic training community.
 
"I wouldn't be where I am today without the support and mentorship of Ed," said Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine Jason Drury, who served as a graduate assistant and an assistant under his mentor before succeeding Evans upon the latter's retirement in 2012.
 
"He was a mentor to dozens in our profession and a friend to many, many more. Ed touched so many lives and made it a purpose to stay in touch with so many. He was always honest with you regardless of the situation, especially when you needed it the most. I speak for many Demon Sports Medicine alumni when I say we appreciated that honesty, even if we didn't know it at the time."
 
 For all he did at Northwestern, Evans' reach extended far past the walls of the Donald G. Kelly Athletic Complex.
 
Evans spent six years as the president of the Louisiana Athletic Trainers Association and six more as the group's secretary/treasurer. He was inducted into the LATA Hall of Fame in 2000.
 
Four years later, he was named the regional College Athletic Trainer of the Year by the Southeastern Athletic Trainers Association – a seven-state consortium that stretches from Louisiana to Kentucky. He was a member of the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners' Advisory Committee on Athletic Training and was appointed to the Governor's Council for Physical Fitness by then Gov. Mike Foster in 2000.
 
His network and reputation typified the bond shared by sports medicine personnel nationwide.
 
"The volume of people who respected Ed is paramount in talking about who he was," said longtime Demon basketball coach Mike McConathy, who spent 13 seasons with Evans as his team's athletic trainer. "His greatest attributes were his ability to assess the situation, take charge and do something about it. We were in Dayton, and Colby Bargeman got elbowed and had a tooth knocked out. He had it in his hand when he came out. Ed orchestrated the whole situation the medical staff in Dayton. That night, Colby had his tooth wired back in his mouth.
 
"It was incredible. We talked about it as a staff that we never gave Ed enough credit for his ability to do things like that. We're on foreign turf, and he has him in a doctor's office that night. That was part of that special bond that athletic trainers have between each other. There was a great deal of respect from the athletic trainers throughout the state of Louisiana and in the South for Ed because of his abilities."
 
Evans' humanity was evident in the way he put "the student-athlete first and the program second," in McConathy's words. That same empathy extended to his staff.
 
"I was supposed to go to Auburn as a graduate assistant, but I couldn't take the certification test," said current Alabama Director of Behavioral Medicine Dr. Ginger Gilmore. "One of my mentors told Ed Evans about this little fiery student from Alabama. Ed called me, and I didn't know him. I went over to visit and meet with him, and he made me eat a Lasyone's meat pie. He hired me without being certified – which was a big thing – and he paid for me to take my certification exam. I always tell people now that Northwestern State was one of the best experiences of my career, because I learned from Ed how to do so much on a small budget. Some of that probably came from his Navy corpsman experience. He trusted in me and gave me a chance. My career is due to that. He brought so many people together."
 
More than two decades later, the Northwestern State-Alabama athletic training pipeline remains strong with graduate assistants and full-time professionals moving between the two institutions.
 
A veteran of the U.S. Navy who served as a hospital corpsman and physical/occupational therapy technician, Evans' dedication to his profession and to his student-athletes led him to become the fifth honorary member of the N-Club, earning that distinction in 2005. Thirteen years later, Evans was named the N-Club Hall of Fame's Distinguished Service Award winner.
 
In addition to his nearly three decades of service to Northwestern, Evans' time at Natchitoches Central further strengthened his ties to the Natchitoches community – one that stretched outside the athletic realm on campus and one he burnished with his various charitable endeavors.

Evans and his wife, Chris, had three sons: Johnathan, David and Tim.