New England Free Jacks Evan Geist 2021 Profile

The New England Free Jacks re-signed Evan Geist for the 2021 season. The 27-year-old back-row (28 in May) is 6’2″ and 235 lbs.

Evan played in two matches with the team during the team’s 2020 COVID-19 shortened MLR season against San Diego Legion and NOLA Gold and also played with the team during the 2019 exhibition season.

Evan attended Mullen High School in Denver, Colorado where he played football, basketball, and baseball. He discovered rugby his senior year of high school with the SWARM Rugby Club before attending college.

Oregon State University in 2012 before transferring to Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. He attended from 2012-2017, graduating with a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in Health and Exercise Science. While there he played D1A Rugby and was selected to the All-West Conference team in 2014-2015. He also was selected to the USA Under-20s in 2013.

Following his graduation, he played rugby with the Denver Barbarians and was the lead singer in Flood Band. He helped lead the team to the 2018 USA Rugby Club Division II Championship and the team named him the ’80-minute Man’ for the last two years of their Championship run. Early in 2019, he played in the British Columbia Premier League for the Meralomas before joining the Free Jacks.

Evan’s performance in the Cara Cup demonstrated that he can be a contributor to the team for years to come. His performance since joining the team in 2019, has led to his re-signing with the team for 2021.

New England Free Jacks Comments

“I am extremely proud and excited to have the opportunity to return to the Free Jacks, this time as a full-time player,” said Geist. “The past few seasons in Boston have been an incredible learning experience on and off the field. At times it felt out of reach, but I am thrilled my perseverance has paid off. I can’t wait to continue to show what I am made of and develop my game this season with the Free Jacks.”

“Evan has developed tremendously since joining the Free Jacks in January of 2019,” commented Free Jacks Performance Manager, Tom Kindley. “Physicality is a real strength for the man nicknamed the ‘Poltergeist,’ seen demonstrating his appetite for the gainline on both sides of the ball during the 2020 MLR season. A bit more time in the pressure cooker should see Evan continue to add to his tool-kit and become a more versatile attacking threat.”

Geist credits his dedication and strong work ethic for taking him to the pinnacle of American professional rugby. This upcoming season, look out for the Free Jack in the electric blue scrum cap to be a captivating presence on the field with his speed, power, and work rate on display.

Join Evan and the Free Jacks for a virtual Town Hall “News and Brews,” on October 15. Grab a Free Jacks IPA, join the virtual gathering, and get to know the newest Free Jacks and the returning players. RSVP using the link here: https://www.freejacks.com/news-and-brews/.