Linebacker Evan Eller Enjoying New-Found Freedom in Wyoming

LARAMIE -- Evan Eller just won't go away.

Truth is, he doesn't want to leave. A smile creased his bearded face Wednesday afternoon when asked why he always seems to be hanging around the facility. One word became prominent -- freedom.

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He didn't have that luxury -- or facial stubble -- over the previous four seasons at the Virginia Military Institute.

"You'd put your bed up, go to formation and go to breakfast," Wyoming's newest linebacker said, adding this structured day begins at 7 a.m. sharp. "You have classes, then you go to lift training and then you have formation in the afternoon. Then, during the football season, once practices go a little later, we eat at like 8 p.m. That's when you get back to your room and start your homework and stuff."

Sound exhausting? It is.

Now, imagine never having aspirations of joining the service in the first place. That's the price Eller paid to land a full-ride scholarship in his home state.

"That's why I came here and I talk to all these guys and I'm like, this is the best place ever," he added. "I couldn't ask for more."

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While VMI wasn't necessarily his first choice, the school remained loyal. Eller suffered a torn ACL during his senior season at Lord Botetourt High School. To make matters even worse, doctors discovered blood clots in his throwing arm.

That devastating diagnosis, Eller said, ultimately saved his life.

"I lost a lot of my offers," he said, adding the COVID-19 pandemic was also in full swing. "They were like one of five left and they showed they cared a lot about me once I had been injured. So they were close to home, as well, and I knew I could go there and play pretty quickly.

"I wasn't looking for a military school or that kind of structure, but, you know, that's just kind of how it played out for me."

Eller paid that program back in spades.

Revolving between safety and linebacker, the Roanoke native tallied 235 career tackles in 40 games. He registered 106 of those last fall, ranking him No. 16 in all of the FCS. Eller also added two forced fumbles and an interception.

Those numbers caught the eye of the Wyoming coaching staff. Jay Sawvel said this week he was in search of a veteran linebacker to throw in the mix.

He thinks he found the right guy in Eller.

"Evan's doing really well. That was a huge pickup," The Cowboys' first-year head coach said on Tuesday. "When the guy's a two-time captain at a military institute, you figure you're probably getting a pretty mature guy. He is a really good player."

Defensive coordinator Aaron Bohl added he sees some flashes of former standout Easton Gibbs when watching Eller.

"I wish I had him all four years," he said.

Fellow linebacker Nic Talich is a fan, too.

"He's not only a good football player, he's a great dude," he said of Eller. "I think he's going to make a big difference on the team. He's a stud. I can't say enough good things about him."

Jack Culbreath was Eller's teammate at VMI. They were in the same recruiting class and became close during four years of "barracks living."

He had a front-row seat to Eller's breakout career in Lexington, especially when it came to special teams play.

"Evan was really good," said Culbreath, who also signed with Wyoming this spring. "He made so many great plays on kickoff and was a special team star. He had over 200 tackles, which is insane. He's a great player and I'm excited to see what he can do here."

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Unlike Air Force, Army or Navy, incoming students do not have to join the military after graduation. Another unique aspect of VMI is the lack of a graduate school. That's another reason players like Eller and Culbreath hit the open market last winter.

Eller planned ahead. He knew one day he would be looking for a new home. Because of that, he fast-tracked the process, spending a semester studying abroad in Spain so he could get across that stage, diploma in hand, earlier than expected. Whatever program he landed in, he wanted to get a head start, learn the playbook and, most importantly, get to know his new teammates.

He figured that would probably happen at the University of Richmond, another FCS program located just under three hours from his hometown.

Then Bohl called.

Eller accepted.

"It's just like a big-time feel," he said of Wyoming. "The blue-collar work ethic is very similar to how I grew up. The resume of the inside linebackers that have come out of here kind of just sold itself right away. Then, the coaches. They just were there for me and were willing to take a chance on me, you know, even from FCS school.

"I'm still excited to see and witness the home environment for the first time. So, it's good. It's really good."

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players