Buccaneers WR Mike Evans is a super intense Harry Potter 'nerd'
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in London to play the Carolina Panthers early Sunday, but Bucs receiver Mike Evans will find some time to feed his biggest hobby.
“I’m probably going to see some ‘Harry Potter’ artifacts,” Evans told Greg Auman of The Athletic.
Yes, Evans is serious about his love of “Harry Potter,” part of which was set in London.
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Many people are huge fans of J.K. Rowling’s books on young wizard Harry Potter and the other characters in the stories, which were made into popular movies too. It’s just a little surprising that the 6-foot-5, 231-pound Pro Bowl receiver is among the superfans. Auman’s story is fantastic, in that it digs into an unexpected side of one of the NFL’s stars.
“People think it’s kind of weird because I’m from the hood,” Evans told Auman.
Mike Evans has seen ‘Harry Potter’ movies about 900 times
Evans has a Harry Potter-inspired tattoo on his arm, Auman wrote. When Auman asked, Evans compared his teammates and coaches to various characters from the books. Evans would quiz Ryan Fitzpatrick’s kids on the books when the two were teammates.
“He’s definitely a ‘Harry Potter’ nerd,” Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston told The Athletic.
Evans’ love for “Harry Potter” started when his second-grade teacher read “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” to the class.
“I fell in love with it,” Evans told Auman.
This isn’t the type of thing where he’s a casual fan of the books and movies. It’s a borderline obsession, based on how many times Evans said he has seen the movies.
“Over a thousand times, easily,” Evans said to Auman. “Altogether, all eight movies. Not a thousand. Maybe 900. It’s close. It’s a lot.”
Evans has shared his ‘Harry Potter’ love
Evans’ fandom got some publicity when, during Pro Bowl week, he took a side trip to Orlando’s Universal Studios and saw its “Harry Potter” attractions.
Auman’s story dives into why Evans loves the series and the depths of his devotion. It’s not rare for a high-profile NFL player to have an unexpected hobby, but not many are so proudly into the story of an 11-year-old who is invited to attend Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Evans has never tried to keep his love for “Harry Potter” a secret.
For many players, going to London is a fun experience. It probably means a little more to Evans, for a reason you might not have expected.
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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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