After the final whistle ended Friday’s spring scrimmage, SDSU running back Tyrone Evans was telling everyone to come to his house. It was time to party.

“Hey, you comin’?” he shouted to a friend. “You know where it’s at? It’s at my place.”

It was time to celebrate. But it wasn’t because Evans had just run for a scrimmage-high 97 yards on 10 carries. It had nothing to do with the fact he scored a 39-yard touchdown.

Evans was throwing a bash because he had just outrun something more important than an opposing defender. Tyrone Curtis Evans, born April 25, 1976, had just stuck a cleat in his biggest fear playing football on his birthday.

“Hell yeah, I was scared,” Evans said. “I was feeling bad luck all day. It’s my birthday, you know?”

Who could blame him for being nervous? On his birthday last year, Evans broke his ankle during the Aztecs’ second spring scrimmage. It was the worst present of his life, an injury that sidelined him for almost two months.

“I had a cast on for about four and a half weeks,” Evans said. “When they took it off, it was tough because I was able to run forward, but I couldn’t stop.”

Evans didn’t need to hesitate Friday. He just needed to run.

But it didn’t come easy.

On the first play of the scrimmage, he was thinking too much. Pondering what happened to him on this day last year, he was wrestling with his own superstitions.

His first carry on Friday was supposed to be a simple runover right tackle, but Evans was grappling more with history and fear than with opposing tacklers.

He had decisions.

Run upfield or stretch it to the outside? Blow over the imposing cornerback or tip-toe out of bounds?

Too many decisions.

Evans, as he has in the past, opted to run sideways.

“No. Go that way, go that way,” right tackle Ephraim Salaam screamed pointing toward the end zone. “I don’t care who’s there.”

It was too late. Evans was on the ground.

“I was thinking too much on that first play,” Evans said. “I always have bad luck on my birthday. Remember last year?”

No need to.

After his stunning performance in the final scrimmage, and after two weeks of dazzling dashes, Evans was, literally, the run-away winner of this year’s Daily Aztec Spring Drills Surprise Player.

But, unfortunately, someone had already told this secret to his coaches and teammates.

“It’s not a surprise,” guard Robert Whitman said. “I knew that (Evans) was always good, but he was never given the opportunity to show what he has. He’s a good running back.”

Added running backs coach Kennedy Pola: “Tyrone Evans is not a surprise. He’s had an excellent spring. He’s improved on holding onto the ball. Before, we couldn’t have trusted someone like that on the field.”

Known in the past for having more jiggle and shake than power and speed, Evans was a fumble waiting to happen. His boom-or-bust running style excited teammates and fans but gave the Aztecs’ coaching staff ulcers.

“I like Tyrone,” offensive line coach Ed White said. “It has just taken him awhile to simulate to the system, but he is electrifying. Tyrone understands more of the offense now. He still wants to go sideways, but when he goes straight up the field it’s … whew. He can be impressive.”

After working hard in the offseason to get himself ready for an opportunity to shine, Evans says he’s not surprised with how well he’s played this spring.

“I have been very consistent,” he said. “The first scrimmage I did a little bit, the second scrimmage I did a little more and this scrimmage I just let it all out.”

Evans was given the opportunity to “let it all out” because academic problems kept second- and third-string running backs Marty Graham and John Clayton from participating in the last scrimmage.

Regardless, Evans’ performance this spring was impossible not to notice. But as for his contribution next season?

“The coaches probably don’t think I can be an every-down back like Justin Watson (the Aztecs’ 230-pound battering ram),” Evans said. “But it’s like one out of five. If I get five carries, I am going to pop at least one. So, if I can get 10 or 15 carries a game, maybe that is the role I could play.”

Finally, a sign of optimism from the usually pessimistic Evans on his birthday. After playing the lead in the tragedy last year, he seems more than happy with his new gig as surprise player.