Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Mike Evans is an All-Pro on and off the field. With nine straight 1,000-yard seasons, all with the Bucs, Evans has been one of the NFL’s top receivers since he entered the league.
Evans also does great work off the field, establishing his family’s own foundation, stemming from Evans having suffered abuse as a child. Standing by his side through everything is his wife Ashli, who is his rock.
Mike Evans and Ashli’s Relationship
Evans and Ashli met in 2013 through mutual friends at a party. Evans was at Texas A&M, while Ashli was at Blinn, and their roommates knew each other.
Ashli believes their meeting was “not by chance, but by fate,” and she says their “connection was intense from the moment we met: I’m talking butterflies + fireworks — the real deal.”
Ashli shares that their first date was to the movies, and they were inseparable after they met. Evans had a child from a previous relationship, Mackenzie, and Ashli would go to all his games, which is where she met her. Ashli describes Mackenzie as her “bonus daughter.”
Evans proposed in 2014 at a Christmas celebration. Ashli documents how they celebrated Christmas a few days early because of the NFL schedule. After opening presents with the whole family, Evans had one more gift for Ashli in the shape of a shoe box.
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Ashli opened it “immediately to see it’s none other than a box from Christian Louboutin.” But she said, “My eye quickly saw a smaller blue box from Tiffany’s inside,” telling her story, she says, “But everyone gets super quiet. Like waiting to hear a pin drop kinda quiet.”
Evans then got down on one knee and popped the question, asking, “Ashli Nicole Dotson, I have one question — will you marry me?”
And in February 2016, the couple married. The wedding was in Houston, and they had 26 bridesmaids and groomsmen.
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The couple has three children together: Ariah Lynn — born in November 2016; Amari Thomas — born in December 2019; and Aliyah Nicole — arrived in May 2022.
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Together, Evans and Ashli set up the Mike Evans Family Foundation, which “works with women who have been victims of domestic violence to help them get back on their feet and live their best lives.” The foundation also helps children “by providing them with opportunities to help make their dreams a reality.”
For work, Ashli runs a lifestyle website, All About Ashli, where she blogs about her journey through life. She talks about being a mother, providing “Lessons and tips to make it all a little smoother.”
The website also talks about health and wellness, as Ashli is “on a mission to help women make self-care and wellness a priority.” She shares “powerful daily habits that help you feel your best from the inside out” on the website.
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