Evan Arapostathis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Evan Arapostathis
No. 17
Position:Punter
Personal information
Born: (1963-10-30) October 30, 1963 (age 60)
San Diego, California, U.S.
Height:5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight:160 lb (73 kg)
Career information
High school:Helix (La Mesa, California)
College:Eastern Illinois
Undrafted:1986
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Punts:30
Punting yards:1,140
Punting yard average:38.0
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Evan Anthony Arapostathis (born October 30, 1963) is an American former professional football player who was a punter for the St. Louis Cardinals in the National Football League (NFL). He played one season for the Cardinals in 1986.[1]

Playing career[edit]

Growing up in San Diego County, California, Arapostathis attended Helix High School in La Mesa.[2] After two years at Grossmont College in El Cajon, he transferred to Eastern Illinois University, where he was both their kicker and punter for two years.[3]

In 1986, Arapostathis signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he was primarily used on kickoffs during the preseason.[4] With veteran punter Carl Birdsong and rookie kicker John Lee also on the roster,[4] the Cardinals eventually cut him.[3] However, St. Louis later cut Birdsong, and re-signed Arapostathis for the season opener. In his NFL debut against the Los Angeles Rams, he punted eight times and kicked off twice.[3] Arapostathis played for five games before St. Louis cut him, signing Greg Cater as his replacement. Arapostathis averaged 38.0 yards on 30 punts, and was ranked 13th out of 14 punters in the National Football Conference with a net average of 32.5.[5]

In 1987, he signed with the Denver Broncos as a replacement player during the NFL strike that season.[6]

Later years[edit]

Arapostathis was a graduate assistant for the San Diego State Aztecs, overseeing their kickers.[7] He ran the ABCD Kicking Camps with former NFL kicking specialists Darren Bennett, John Carney and Brad Daluiso.[8] He later worked in the information technology industry before returning to football in 2019 as the vice president for the San Diego Strike Force of the Indoor Football League.[9][10]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Evan Arapostathis NFL Football Statistics". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  2. ^ Shanahan, Tom (January 25, 2003). "Allen has legendary stature in San Diego Lincoln High product isn't the only local icon". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. SPECIAL: SUPER BOWL XXXVII-1.
  3. ^ a b c Sonderegger, John (September 12, 1986). "Big Red Punter Takes Dead Aim At Coffin Corner". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. pp. D1, D5. Retrieved January 30, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b Cook, Joe (August 18, 1986). "Kicker Fights Numbers". Herald & Review. p. B1. Retrieved January 30, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Cards cut ex-Eastern kicker". Journal Gazette. October 8, 1986. p. B-1. Retrieved January 30, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "New Broncos". The Daily Sentinel. September 25, 1987. p. 4C. Retrieved January 30, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Brady, Frank (December 28, 1991). "Aztecs' Andy Trakas has weathered a stormy season". The Evening Tribune. p. C-1. Retrieved July 25, 2022. 'All week long Andy was kicking low drives and was struggling in practice,' said Evan Arapostathis, the graduate assistant who oversees the kicking game.
  8. ^ Christopherson, Brian (November 5, 2005). "Raising a Husker: Congdon has right mentality for a kicker". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  9. ^ "2020 San Diego Strike Force Media Guide" (PDF). p. 4. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  10. ^ "San Diego Strike Force Makes Front Office Additions" (Press release). San Diego Strike Force. March 26, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2022.