and the UD Sportsmanship Award in 2008. A
days a week and do whatever they needed. Evan
puts on a different hat and becomes a college
the NCAA Final Four during the 2007 season.
was going to do, it became my life. I spent all my
poetic. I get to lay out my opinion and be more
standout defender, he led Delaware to a berth in
In spite of all his successes, Evan went
through a lot physically at Delaware. His sopho-
more year, he tore his ACL and suffered a staph infection after the surgery. On Senior Day, the
last home game of his college career, he tore his other ACL. “I was planning to play professionally in the MLL that summer, but that injury changed everything.”
With no chance of playing professional la-
crosse, Evan had to come up with a second ca-
explains, “Once I locked in that this was what I time at that station and became friends with the
reporter and producer that worked in Baltimore. I just started tagging along with them wherever they would go — whether it was Orioles games
or Ravens games — carrying gear, doing what-
I stay involved with sports for my career?'”
Evan added more to his resume reel when
ESPN sportscaster and father of Nick Elsmo lacrosse games. He sent it to ESPN and CBS
College Sports, hoping for his break into sports broadcasting on a national level.
ule that is sometimes tough on his family. Just the AFC Championship game in 2016 when his wife unexpectedly went into labor five weeks early. Evan was in a meeting with Tom Brady
and Bill Belichick when his father-in-law texted him a picture of his newborn son Hudson. “One day, my son is going to get a real kick out of that story!”
What are the possibilities for Evan now? Is
spring of 2012 as a college lacrosse analyst and
do more studio hosting. What I do now as a live
sports journalism. Kip, a successful college la-
by August 2012 he was signed on as a CBS
an announcer named Joe Beninati — the same
While certainly exciting and a hard-earned
there more in store for his future? “Sure, in this
started working for CBS College Sports in the
crosse player from UVA, had gotten to know
And the rest, as they say, is history. Evan
It was another Severn connection, Kip
Turner '03, that got Evan's foot in the door of
Bayhawks games.
ask his wife Kate! Evan was in Denver covering
three years.”
'07, invited him to help as an analyst for college
It was really as simple as asking myself, 'How do
the summers, he announces all the Chesapeake
to start sending out. That was my life for two to
experience in the field. Evan explains, “I wasn't
turned the volume down and announced games.
restricted by the rules of sports journalism.” In
dream come true for Evan, this job has a sched-
news reports so that I had at least a resume reel
yet another Severn connection, Leif Elsmo '69,
one of those kids who sat in front of the TV,
of a gas bag than a reporter who is otherwise
ever. They were nice enough to let me do fake
reer plan. Sports broadcasting had always been
in the back of his mind, but he didn't have any
lacrosse analyst. “I go up into the booth and wax
NFL reporter.
Evan's job requires the discipline, com-
business there are always next steps. I'd like to remote reporter is to take the viewer through what is happening. A studio hosting job offers more dimension and personality. There are not a
Joe Beninati who is now the play-by-play an-
mitment and game-time intensity of a college
at the time and announced a lot of Kip's college
day through Thursday at home preparing for
ing pad for a rewarding and exciting career in
everything about the players, the coaches, their
academic experience, the athletic experience
nouncer for the Capitals! Joe lived in Annapolis games. While Evan rehabilitated his knee that
summer, Kip called him and said, “Hey, I know
Joe Beninati. I can give you his number. Maybe
he can help get you an internship or something.”
One cold call later, a connection was made.
By Winter 2009 Evan started an unpaid intern-
ship at Comcast Sports Net in D.C. Right from the start, Evan threw himself into the job. Evan
told his bosses that he was going to be there five
athlete. As an NFL reporter, Evan spends Mon-
his assigned weekend game. He needs to know schedules and their playing styles. Friday and Saturday, he is on site at the host city, preparing
for game time on Sunday. Starting in February, he covers college basketball in a similar capacity. “I've been lucky enough to do the NCAA
tournaments the last four years, which is an unbelievable experience.” Once that's over, he
lot of those jobs, so it will just take time.”
For Evan, Severn athletics was the launch-
sports journalism. “On top of the social and
at Severn prepared me in a way that was rare. I was not the most gifted athlete, but I had a
good work ethic and intensity. With those traits
and enough athleticism, I could participate in
Severn sports to gain the necessary knowledge and confidence for the career I now hold.”
" T H E AT H L E T I C E X P E R I E N C E AT S E V E R N P R E PA R E D M E I N A W AY T H AT W A S R A R E . I W A S N O T T H E M O S T G I F T E D AT H L E T E , B U T I H A D A G O O D W O R K E T H I C A N D I N T E N S I T Y. W I T H T H O S E T R A I T S A N D E N O U G H AT H L E T I C I S M , I C O U L D PA R T I C I PAT E I N S E V E R N S P O R T S T O G A I N T H E N E C E S S A R Y K N O W L E D G E A N D C O N F I D E N C E F O R T H E C A R E E R I N O W H O L D .” — EVAN WASHBURN '03
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THE BRIDGE