The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
10/23/2026 9:00:00 AM | Football
From an unconventional journey to UAB to making a difference throughout his hometown, the Blazers' long snapper is embracing the opportunity to represent the city he loves.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – For UAB long snapper Evan Bishop, wearing the green and gold means more than representing a university on Saturdays. It means representing a city that has shaped his life, given him opportunities and provided a place he has always called home. And while Bishop's contributions on the football field often may go unnoticed by the average fan, the impact he is making away from the game is anything but.
From cleaning up Birmingham's waterways to packing diapers for families in need and visiting local elementary schools, Bishop has made giving back to his community a central part of his experience as a UAB student-athlete.
"It's such a blessing to be able to do that and give back to the city that's given so much to me," Bishop said. "It's just super special for me to be able to serve the city because it's home for me."
For Bishop, that connection to Birmingham runs deep. He moved to the area before beginning elementary school and grew up attending UAB athletic events. Long before he wore a Blazers jersey himself, he was one of the young fans cheering on the teams he now represents.
"Growing up in elementary school, coming to UAB games and all, and now getting to represent this school is definitely super special and close for me," Bishop said. "It's a blessing to be here and to play for the city that I grew up to love so much."
His journey to Protective Stadium, however, was anything but conventional. A soccer player at Spain Park High School, Bishop credits the sport with helping him develop the footwork he needed for football. Following graduation, he enrolled at Jacksonville State as a preferred walk-on before deciding the program wasn't the right fit. He returned home to Birmingham in the spring of 2024 and spent a semester at Samford, where he initially planned to pursue another opportunity to walk on to a football team.
Then, a connection with former UAB standout Ty Long opened a different door. Through Long, Bishop found an opportunity to join the Blazers as a walk-on in the fall of 2024, bringing his football journey full circle.
"My path here wasn't, I guess, typical," Bishop said. "Everyone has their own path getting where we are, which is always fun."
Since arriving at UAB, Bishop has embraced every opportunity to make an impact, particularly those that extend beyond the football field. Among his favorite experiences has been working with Charles Scribner and Black Warrior Riverkeeper, an organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the Black Warrior River and its tributaries. Through community cleanup efforts, Bishop and his teammates have helped remove litter and debris from areas throughout Birmingham, taking an active role in caring for the city they represent.
Bishop has also enjoyed volunteering with Bundles of Hope, a Birmingham nonprofit that provides diapers and other essential items to families in need.
"We love working with Charles Scribner over at Black Warrior Riverkeeper," Bishop said. "Just being able to go around, clean up different parts of the city with him, as well as we love working with Bundles of Hope and those ladies over there. We pack diapers up for them and whatnot."
While those efforts have provided meaningful opportunities to serve, some of Bishop's favorite memories have come through UAB's community outreach initiatives that connect student-athletes with children throughout Birmingham. Through the UAB and Me program, Bishop has visited local schools, interacted with students and experienced firsthand the influence a college athlete can have on a young fan. And as a long snapper, he has learned that it doesn't necessarily matter whether the children understand his position.
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Most of these kids don't know what a long snapper is, but you put the jersey on and you're a superhero to a lot of people," Bishop said. "I think that's obviously something fun to be involved in, and it's exciting."
For Bishop, those experiences are about more than appearances or fulfilling community service obligations. They are opportunities to connect with the next generation of Birmingham residents and inspire the same sense of pride he developed growing up in the city.
"Evan Bishop has worked hard to put himself in a great position with our team." said head coach Alex Mortensen. "He's also done a lot to serve our community and is someone we can consistently count on to put the team first."
The opportunity to serve has also strengthened Bishop's relationships with his teammates. As a member of UAB's specialists unit, Bishop spends much of his practice time working alongside the team's kickers and punters, developing the timing, precision and trust required to execute one of football's most overlooked responsibilities. But he believes some of the strongest connections between teammates are built away from the practice field.
"As a specialist, we kind of a lot of times are in our own world," Bishop said. "Besides going out there and punting the ball and kicking field goals with these guys, a lot of the time that we really get to build that camaraderie is outside in events like that around the city."
Those shared experiences have given Bishop and his teammates the opportunity to grow closer while making a positive difference in the community.
"I think that's super important and special for us," Bishop said.
In a sport where success is often measured by statistics, victories and individual accolades, Bishop has found fulfillment in something that won't appear in a box score. His story may have started with an unexpected path through Jacksonville State and Samford before finding a home at UAB, but the destination has given him something far greater than an opportunity to play college football. It has given him the chance to give back to the place that helped raise him.
And whether he's delivering a clean snap on Saturday, cleaning up a Birmingham neighborhood or making a child smile during a school visit, Bishop understands the privilege that comes with representing his hometown.
"Anytime that I get an opportunity to go serve in the city of Birmingham, it's super special," Bishop said. "And I love to get to do it."
