Special to The Leader

 

Dr. Von L. Evans Jr. has been inducted into the New Mexico Highlands University Athletic Hall of Fame on September 21, in Las Vegas, New Mexico.

Evans is a native of Orangefield, Texas. He rarely, if ever, misses a class reunion and maintains a close friendship with many of his friends in the Orange area.

Von is the fourth members of the 1981 Championship team to be inducted into the HU Athletic Hall of Fame. He was a four year starter at left offensive guard for the Cowboys.

Von was an Eagle Scout and attended the Philmont Scout Ranch in high school near Highlands University.

At Orangefield, he was second team all-state offensive guard and was excited when he was contacted by Highlands University to visit the university about playing in New Mexico.

He told the coach he would be pre-med and was told that would not interfere with his plans but they would make certain his education would not be a problem.

Von continued to visit other universities in Colorado, Texas and others, but Highland University was the right one for him.

Von was named to the Rocky Mountain All Conference team as a senior. He was also selected to the RMAC Scholar Athlete Award, one of only two football players chosen from the Conference that year.

Von completed both his BS and MS degree in biology at HU. He graduated Cum Laude as well as having a 4.0 GPA in graduate school. He was also selected in Phi Kappa Phi academic honor society. In 2015, he was voted a Distinguished Alumni.

Upon completion of studies at HU, Von attended the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. He graduated with a Doctor of Medicine degree and afterwards, completed an Orthopedic Surgery residency program in Fort Worth, Texas.

Honors and awards include multiple selections as ‘Top Doc” by FW Texas magazine. He was also inducted into the Burleson School Athletic Hall of fame for his work with the student athletes and he continues working with many area schools.

He has been married to his wife, Jan, for 22 years and they have three children: Chad, Bailey and Andrew.