One of Europe’s top quarterbacks, Clark Evans, like the rest of the world, is adapting to life in isolation.
More than being a worldwide pastime, self-isolation is a global road to survival.
But learning how to deal with it varies from person to person.
From apartment balconies in Milan, Italy to mountainside cottages in Norway, from seaside enclaves in Spain to small villages in the Alps, people throughout Europe are learning what it’s like to live apart from their fellow man. In order to save their fellow man.
Athletes are no exception and with all sports now halted, finding a way to stay healthy both physically and mentally, and to stay in playing shape, can be a real problem. Gyms are closed. In some countries, like France, outdoor workouts are illegal.
So Evans, a California native and the quarterback for the top team in France, the Thonon Black Panthers, has adapted to the situation, moving with his girlfriend, Kim Andry, to Bulle, Switzerland (pop. 23,000), her hometown where you can still be outdoors but not in groups of more than five people.
In other words, like millions of other people around the world, he is adapting to this new age of social distancing. And he has no plans to head home to California.
“I feel pretty safe here and I love the life in a small town. I plan on spending the entire offseason, which is now much longer, here. And I’m working on my French, taking French lessons.”
Evans has been one of the leading import players in Europe over the past four years. The 6’4″. 240 lb native of Tustin, California, played his college football at the University of Hawaii and also one year at Colorado. He enjoyed an outstanding year with the Black Panthers in 2019 leading them to the French title while leading the league in rushing too with 1,012 yards. He had played for Switzerland’s Calanda Broncos for the two seasons prior to that, helping them win two straight Swiss championships and in 2018 led them to an undefeated season. He played for Germany’s Dusseldorf Panther in 2016 and spent the 2015 season with the Ljubljana Silverhawks of Slovenia.
He had his Black Panthers team aiming for a second straight French crown before the coronavirus put an end to the season after only three games.
When he was told this past weekend by his club that the season was over, he was not too surprised he said:
“With everything going on I realized that interrupting the season indefinitely would make it almost impossible to resume in a couple of months. The import players would have to go home.”
Evans had already anticipated travel restrictions and with Andry, herself a rugby player made the move from Thonon to Bulle.
“It’s only an hour and a half from Thonon but the restrictions in France would have made it impossible and there I could not even go outside without permission.
Living in a house, Evans and Andry have access to a small lawn and can get in some outdoor workouts, with a little creativity.
” Yeh, we research workout routines and football throughout the day and get outside to get the exercise in. We also keep busy working around the house too.”
PHOTO: AIXELANE
Like every other person on the planet, he is concerned about this pandemic raging throughout the world. But so far, he has not been personally affected.
“My family in California is fine. My mom is working from home as is my brother in San Diego. My dad is in shipping so considered essential so he has to go in every day. Here in Switzerland, we are staying with Kim’s folks and everyone is healthy and staying isolated.”
However, one good friend and football player he knows has been hit.
“Dylan Reda, a linebacker who plays in the Czech Republic, has headed back to Florida after it looks like he contracted it.?