'Mayor Of Boulder': The Lasting Legacy Of Evan Battey
BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4)- "He needs no introduction ... Evan Battey."
Of all the players that have worn the black and gold, no one is quite like Evan Battey.
"He loves people. He gets his energy from people. Relationships mean the world to him. There are very few people you come across that are like Evan," head coach Tad Boyle said.
In his time at the University of Colorado, Battey has become one of the most beloved players of all time. You may know him as "The Mayor of Boulder." He's a star on the court and in the community, and his humility is just one of the many reasons why everyone loves Evan.
"I don't really know why I'm so beloved. I do the things that I feel like everybody should do - have school pride, treat people the right way and have character. I feel like that's not a hard thing to ask out of everybody in this world. So, in that sense, I don't feel like I'm doing anything special," Battey said.
Evan's appreciation for life and for basketball grew tenfold his freshman year when he suffered a stroke. On his journey to recovery, basketball was a constant. At the time, Boyle told Battey that even if he never played another minute of basketball, he'd be part of the team and remain on scholarship. Battey said that was all he needed to hear.
"I never left the team. When I first had my stroke, the doctors said I should stay at home and recover. My mom said, 'No. Send him back to school to be with his teammates.' That's honestly the best decision I ever made," Battey said
Evan battled his way back to the court and along the way gained a new perspective on life
"I'm more appreciative for everything, more grateful. I don't take anything for granted because it can be all over just like that. Every day we have practice, I always say to me guys, 'we get to practice today. We don't have to practice, we get to practice'."
Battey has become the leader that every coach dreams of having on his team. He's a motivator, he's emotional and perhaps most important of all, he leads by example.
"I just want the guys to know what's right and what's wrong, what works and what doesn't. Being in the gym consistently and getting the extra reps in, that ultimately matters," Battey said.
At practice, Evan is often the first guy in and the last to leave. His work has paid dividends as he finished the 2022 season as the best three-point shooter in the Pac-12.
"He was a 22% over his first three years - he's leading the league now and shooting over 50% from three," Boyle said. "If practice starts at 3, he'll probably be out there at 2:30. If practice ends at 5, he'll be out there until around 5:30. He'll get extra shots in with one of our managers, CJ. And he does it every single day."
"Confidence can only be earned. You can't buy confidence from the store. You can't give me some confidence. So, I just wanted to get in the gym and put up rep after rep until I couldn't fathom missing a shot," Battey said.
This isn't the end for Evan at Colorado. One day he'll be back to continue growing his already tremendous legacy.
"My dream is to be the head coach here," Battey said on senior night after the Buffs beat #2 Arizona.
"He's a Buff through and through. I said this when I got hired, 'Nobody is going to give more of their heart and soul to Colorado than I am.' Evan Battey would give me a run for my money on that," Boyle said.
"The reason I want to come back and be a coach here is to keep up what Tad Boyle started. I have so much respect for that man. He's taught me so much over the years. I just want to have that same type of impact on the next generation of Buffs," Battey said
