Jahri Evans Jahri Evans ( born August 22 , 1983 ) is an American football offensive guard , who currently plays for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League ( NFL ) . He played college football for Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania . Although only a fourth round draft pick from a small school , Evans established a reputation as one of the best guards in the NFL , and in May 2010 the Saints signed him to a seven - year , $ 56 . 7 million contract that reportedly made him the highest paid guard in NFL history . High school career . Unusual for an NFL player , Evans did not play football before high school . He attended Frankford High School in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , where he was an All - Public League selection as a junior . However , Evans fractured his leg playing a game of pickup basketball at a church event prior to his senior year and missed the entire football season . Evans stayed focused on academics , ended up graduating 10th in his class , and with the help of his high school coach , Tom Mullineaux , was admitted to Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania . In fact , Evans did not attend Bloomsburg on an athletic scholarship , but rather an academic scholarship . College career . Evans attended Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania , where he played for the Bloomsburg Huskies football team . After redshirting his first year , he spent his freshman season as a reserve offensive lineman . By his sophomore year , he took over as the starter at left tackle and went on to anchor the Huskies offensive line for the following three seasons . He was awarded All - Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference honors in each of those seasons , while earning Little All - American selections in his junior and senior years . As a junior , Evans had 88 knockdowns with 10 blocks resulting in a touchdown . In his senior season , he opened holes for fellow Little All - America selection Jamar Brittingham , who ran for 2 , 260 yards and 32 touchdowns . He was a finalist for the Division II Gene Upshaw Offensive Player of the Year Award in each of final two seasons . Professional career . 2006 NFL Draft . Entering the 2006 NFL Draft , Evans was seen as a developmental prospect and was projected to move from tackle to guard in the NFL . Although he was evaluated as an early seventh round pick by " Sports Illustrated " , Evans was selected in the fourth round ( 108th overall ) by the Saints , after they had traded their early fourth - round pick in the draft to the Philadelphia Eagles for veteran defensive tackle Hollis Thomas and the Eagles ' mid - fourth - round pick . ( The Eagles then used the pick they acquired from the Saints to draft a different guard , Max Jean - Gilles . ) Evans was the first Bloomsburg player drafted since Eric Jonassen went 140th overall to the San Diego Chargers in the 1992 NFL Draft . New Orleans Saints . Evans was signed to a three - year contract by the Saints on July 25 , 2006 . He emerged as a consistent performer in training camp and preseason , and won the starting job after the projected starter , Jermane Mayberry , was injured in training camp and ultimately retired . In his rookie year , Evans started all 16 games , and both playoff games , at right guard . He was subsequently named to the " Pro Football Weekly " All - Rookie team . In his second year , Evans started all 16 games at right guard again , and contributed to an offense that ranked No . 3 overall in the NFL . Remaining a starter in , Evans was part of an offensive line that allowed just 13 sacks on the season , a Saints franchise record . Having established himself as one of the NFL ' s top right guards in , Evans was named to the 2010 Pro Bowl NFC roster , being only the fourth guard to make the Pro Bowl in the Saints ' 43 - year franchise history . Jake Kupp made the Pro Bowl in 1969 , Brad Edelman was honored in 1987 , and LeCharles Bentley went in 2003 . Evans was a restricted free agent after the 2009 season , and on May 5 , 2010 , the Saints resigned Evans to a seven - year , $ 56 . 7 million contract that was reported to make Evans the highest - paid interior offensive lineman in NFL history , surpassing Alan Faneca ' s five - year , $ 40 million deal with the New York Jets in 2008 . Personal . Evans graduated from Bloomsburg in May 2007 with a bachelor ' s degree in exercise science . In 2009 he established a full scholarship for out - of - state minority students enrolled in BU ' s Master of Science in clinical athletic training program . He is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity .