Josh Evans addresses the audience during the Irvington High School Athletic Hall Fame induction in May 2019.
IRVINGTON, NJ — When it comes to the greatest athletes in Irvington High School history, Joshua Evans certainly ranks at the top of the list.
Evans, a 2009 IHS graduate, simply was incredible. In football, he was an all-state performer as a quarterback and safety, leading the Blue Knights to tremendous success.
In track and field, he also was one of the best in the state, having won the hurdles events at both the indoor and outdoor New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s state Meet of Champions.
Evans, who continued his football career at the University of Florida and in the NFL, has been selected to the 2025 NJSIAA’s Hall of Fame induction class. He is the first male athlete from IHS to be inducted into the NJSIAA’s Hall of Fame.
The induction ceremony will take place on Sunday, March 23, at the Westin at Forrestal Village in Princeton.
Evans expressed his gratitude for this prestigious honor.
“It is an incredible honor to be the first male athlete from Irvington to be inducted into the New Jersey State Hall of Fame,” he said. “This recognition is not just a personal achievement, but a testament to the dedication and hard work of so many people who supported me along the way: coaches, teachers, guidance counselors, athletic directors, family and friends. I hope that my journey serves as inspiration for future athletes from Irvington, N.J. Keep believing in yourselves and chasing your dreams, because there’s nothing you can’t accomplish.”
Former IHS athletic director John Taylor nominated Evans for the Hall of Fame inclusion every year since 2018. Taylor left Irvington in January after six-plus years and currently is the athletic director in Burlington Township.
Taylor said Evans is a “beloved member of the community.” Evans’ success meant a lot to many people and is spoken of with reverence and used as an example to many children in Irvington, Taylor said. It would have been a disservice to Evans and the community if “I didn’t keep pursuing your induction,” Taylor said.
Evans was the first IHS athlete to earn all-state honors in football, indoor track and outdoor track.
Evans led the IHS football team to a great year in his senior year in 2008. The Blue Knights, under then-head coach Darnell Grant, advanced to the NJSIAA’s North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 state playoff semifinals, losing in heartbreaking fashion to Phillipsburg, 13-6, in a game played at Weequahic High School’s Untermann Field due to unplayable conditions at IHS’ Matthews Field on a bitterly cold day. It was the Blue Knights’ only loss of the season as they finished 10-1.
In his career, Evans rushed for 1,403 yards and 14 touchdowns and completed 123 of 190 pass attempts for 1,856 yards and 18 touchdowns. Defensively, he recorded 78 tackles and seven interceptions on defense in his senior year, as he was named the Star-Ledger Essex County Player of the Year.
The following winter, Evans won the 55-meter hurdles at the NJSIAA’s state indoor Meet of Champions in dramatic fashion. He clocked 7.40 seconds, edging the second-place finisher by just .01. He became the first IHS boys track athlete to win a state Meet of Champions title.
In June of his senior year at IHS, Evans displayed greatness in both sports. A few days after capturing the 110-meter hurdles at the state outdoor Meet of Champions at Frank Jost Field in South Plainfield, Evans scored the game-winning touchdown as time expired to lift the North All-Stars to a 13-7 victory in the New Jersey High School Football North-South All-Star Game at Rutgers University in Piscataway.
Evans, a safety, had a solid career at the University of Florida. In 2012, he was a recipient of the program’s Fergie Ferguson Award, which is given to a senior football player who displays outstanding leadership, character and courage.
Following his year career at Florida, Evans was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
After his rookie season with the Jaguars, Evans came back to Irvington and directed a one-day youth football camp at Matthews Field.
Evans played three seasons for the Jaguars from 2013-15 and one season with the Washington Redskins – now Commanders – in 2016. Evans conducted another youth camp at Irvington while he was a member of the Redskins.
Evans also is a member of the IHS Athletic Hall of Fame.
Grant, who recently completed his seventh year as the West Orange High School football head coach, was elated for Evans.
“Josh was a phenomenal player for me at IHS,” said Grant, who has guided West Orange to great success. “He was dominant on both sides of the football. He was a fantastic teammate as well, always going the extra mile to make sure we improved as a group.”
Former IHS head boys track coach Marvin Hawkins, who coached Evans, was also ecstatic for Evans.
“I am very happy to have known Josh! He was an outstanding athlete in track and football at Irvington High School,” said Hawkins, who is the head coach of the cross-country and indoor and outdoor track and field teams at Hunter College in New York City. “Josh was a great leader/competitor for the track team and helped the Blue Knights win many state championships! My favorite Josh highlight was indoors in the 2008 indoor state sectional championship in which he cleared 6’2” to help the team win the championship! Josh was a true team player!”
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