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“The thing about having success is that teams will try to find your weaknesses,” said Stamps defensive backs coach Kahlil Carter. “Great players find their weaknesses first. He has some things he has to work on, but as far as having all the tools, Ciante is one of the top guys in the league and he’ll continue to surprise this year.”

Carter was instrumental in bringing Evans, out of Nebraska, to the Stamps as he got to know him while in the developmental FXFL. It didn’t take long to realize that this was someone worth pursuing.

“I saw talent there,” said Carter. “He came up here to Saskatchewan, and once I got the (Calgary) job, I got him up here. I saw the writing on the wall that he was a talented player, with great technique. Had the will to win and the heart to compete. When he got up here, he played behind some very good veterans, learned a lot early the first year. The second year, he was poised to take over from Fred Bennett, and he did and he had a lot of success.”

In his rookie campaign, in which he played in three games, including a pair of starts, it was evident to the Stamps’ coaching staff that he had been well-schooled by the Cornhuskers.

“When you get a kid from Nebraska or Top 5 school, you expect them to have the fundamentals downs, the work ethic, the drive to compete to be a winner and he had that,” Carter said. “He wanted to be successful. He’s a little smaller body type for the NFL prototype defensive back, but in this league, guys come up here and turn heads, and he did that from Day 1. He’s been a pick magnet, great with the guys. He’s been a sponge, they love him and it was just his time.”