Ferris State Senior Evan Cummins Changes Positions, Keeps Contributing After Broken Finger

McKINNEY, TX. – Ferris State’s Evan Cummins has always made the most of his opportunities with the Bulldogs. A sixth-year senior, Cummins has been used as a rotational quarterback and occasional punter during his time a Ferris State.

“I said to Evan the other day, what’s your record as a starter at Ferris State and he goes ‘I don’t know, something-and-oh,'” said head coach Tony Annese. “And I said ‘yeah! As a starter, you’ve never lost a game!’”

Cummins started five games this season with Mylik Mitchell battling injury. But in a game against Michigan Tech, Cummins broke a finger on his throwing hand.

When doctors didn’t clear him to throw after the injury, he refused to sulk in the disappointment of seeing his senior season end at his primary position.

Instead, he told Annese that he could tape his fingers together and start catching passes instead of throwing them.

“Honestly they wouldn’t let me throw the ball and I was just kind of talking with them saying ‘is there anything I can do to help?'” said Cummins. “Wherever we need it, let me go run around, try to catch some balls or block at tight end. Whatever I can do to help this team win.’”

In the weeks since, Cummins has learned how to play tight end and found his way back out onto the field.

“It’s a lot harder to block than it looks, it’s a lot harder to get in those positions than it looks,” said Cummins. “I’ve never been in a three-point stance in my life except to run a 40.”

Coach Annese has been impressed by Cummins’ quick adaption to the new spot.

“He’s a good athlete He can play. We probably should be playing him more as a tight end but there’s just a lot to learn.”

Even though Cummins has fallen out of the quarterback rotation, he’s also continued to mentor the younger quarterbacks on the team like Carson Gulker and Jesse Rivera.

Cummins said veteran quarterbacks showed him the ropes when he was a freshman and he wants to pay that forward.

“Everybody kind of comes out of high school with a big ego, you know?” Cummins said. “You were the man in high school and those guys kind of put me in my place my freshman year and were like, alright this is what you’ve got to do, this is how we do things here.’ So I just try to follow in those guys footsteps. How they showed me I like to show those guys the same way.”