New Hampshire’s Evan Horn joins rare, two-sport company

The two-sport athlete is like a unicorn in the realm of college athletics.

We all know about the legends like Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders, who played baseball and football. Jameis Winston was the latest to play football and baseball in college for Florida State. Russell Wilson played baseball during his college days at North Carolina State before playing his way into to the NFL at quarterback.

At the University of New Hampshire, Evan Horn joined the club by debuting for the basketball team at point guard after playing out the football season at defensive back. The redshirt freshman had 43 tackles and three interceptions, helping the Wildcats make some noise in the FCS playoffs. His highlight of the year came on a 56-yard interception return for a touchdown in an upset win over Central Arkansas.

After the Wildcats’ 71-67 win over Binghamton last Wednesday, UNH head coach Bill Herrion said Horn joined the team at the right time. Injuries had left the backcourt bare at the point guard position.

Horn hit the ground running at the very beginning of his debut against Albany, by putting up six shots in his first 13 minutes.

“I just said to him, ‘Are you trying to set your career high in the first game you play?’” said Herrion.

So far Horn’s presence has become a spark for the Wildcats. He shook off the rust against Binghamton, scoring seven points and dishing out two assists in 18 minutes. And after going 4-10 in the non-conference portion of the season, UNH is now 2-1 going into Monday’s game against UMass Lowell.

“He is a good player,” Herrion said. “He had offers to go to Holy Cross, but he decided to come here and play football. He’s not just some guy off the street. He has come out the last two weeks and played well. He’s a very good athlete and a tough kid. And he can play.”

Horn has also contributed to the Wildcats’ stellar rebounding, which is 16th in the nation by averaging 40.8 rebounds per game.

“I’ve only been here two or three weeks, and I’m just trying to help the team,” Horn said. “I haven’t completely forgotten how to play basketball. I’m just trying to help the team win.”

Led by Tanner Leissner, the Wildcats are trying to stay above water in an America East that has Vermont as a heavy favorite, but has seen strong league starts from Hartford (surprising) and UMBC (not surprising). Horn has helped lead one UNH program to the postseason, can he do it again?