Former Mountaineers raise money for charities on their way to NFL Draft

Silas Albright, Reporter
February 4, 2020

Former App State running back Darrynton Evans and linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither announced fundraising campaigns for charity along their journeys to the NFL.

Evans is partnering with the Endometrial Cancer Action Network for African-Americans in honor of his mother, who was diagnosed with endometrial cancer in July 2019.

“My mom is the toughest person I know,” Evans said in a press release. “Nothing ever seems to faze her. So, in late July of 2019, right before my junior year at App State, when we found out that she had endometrial cancer, it floored us. Luckily, she caught it early and found great doctors and treatment.”

Evans also said that endometrial cancer affects African American women more than others and many of those women don’t have the support they need to deal with their diagnosis.

“For all the families out there who face this battle, I am honored to use this great opportunity and platform that I’ve been given to support the amazing work of ECANA, as it works to create support, community and empowerment for all African American women affected by endometrial cancer,” Evans said.

Evans was named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year in 2019 as a junior after racking up 24 touchdowns and 1,480 rushing yards. His touchdown mark ranked third in the nation and his yardage total ranked ninth.

Davis-Gaither is partnering with the Communities in School organization in his hometown of Thomasville.

“Communities in Schools is not only the leading dropout prevention organization in the

country, in Thomasville, it truly serves as a community of support for the kids and families who need it most, providing not only academic support to students, but emotional and financial support to families,” Davis-Gaither said in a press release.

Davis-Gaither earned Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year recognition in 2019 after recording 104 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and five sacks for the Mountaineers. Davis-Gaither turned in two of his best performances of the year in road wins against North Carolina and South Carolina.

“I’ve always dreamed of being able to give back, and I’m blessed to be able to use this platform to do so,” Davis-Gaither said. “Hopefully, I can be a role model, and my journey can be a continued source of hope and inspiration for all those kids growing up back home.”

Fans and supporters can donate to Evans’ cause at https://pledgeit.org/darrynton and Davis-Gaither’s at https://pledgeit.org/akeem.

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