Who Is Buccaneers Wide Receiver Mike Evans’ Wife Ashli Dotson?
Wide receiver Mike Evans was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Evans holds nearly every major receiving record for the franchise including career receptions, yards, and touchdowns. He’s been selected to multiple Pro Bowls and is also a Super Bowl champion.
Over the course of his career, the wideout has become known not only as one of the best receivers in Tampa Bay but also the league. So it’s no wonder that fans are interested in his life off the field as well. Here’s more about Evans’ wife, Alshi Dotson, and their family.
Evans and Dotson are college sweethearts
Evans and Dotson met at a mutual friend’s party in 2013 when they were both still in college. At the time Dotson was attending Blinn Junior College and Evans was catching passes from Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M.
According to a post on Dotson’s blog, “Our connection was intense from the moment we met: I’m talking butterflies + fireworks–the real deal. We quickly realized that we shared so many of the same interests … From that point on we spent every minute we could together.”
After 10 months of dating the pair got engaged.
On Feb. 13, 2016, they tied the knot in front of 26 bridesmaids and groomsmen as well as friends and family in what Dotson described as her “dream wedding.”
Topics Dotson covers on her blog
Dotson was born on Dec. 17, 1993, to parents Brandi Dotson and Orlando Pierce in Texas.
In college, Dotson majored in psychology because at one time she wanted to become a counselor. She shifted focus after graduation though and began running her lifestyle blog in which she discusses everything from family life to travel to health and beauty to fashion.
When Evans got drafted by the Buccaneers, the couple left Texas and moved to Florida. And while Dotson enjoys residing in the Sunshine State, she insisted that the Lone Star will always be “home” to them posting: “We love Texas and try to shoot home whenever we get the chance … no matter where we play, we will always end up back here … and this will always be our home.”
In 2017, Dotson and her husband founded the Mike Evans Family Foundation. The foundation focuses on “empowering youth, encouraging education, and taking a stand against domestic violence.” It’s something that is very close to Evans’ heart as his mother was physically abused by his father, Mickey. When he was 9 years old, Evans’ uncle became fed up with the abuse his sister suffered and murdered Mickey.
The athlete and his wife are passionate about their mission to make “a difference in as many lives as possible.” The foundation also hosts free football camps for children and awards scholarships to individuals who “may not have the opportunity to attend college because of financial reasons.”
How many children the couple has together
Today, Dotson and Evan have three children together. Their first child, Ariah, was born on Nov. 30, 2016, followed by their son, Amari, three years later on Dec. 28, 2019. The duo then welcomed their youngest daughter, Aliyah, on May 18, 2022.
Evans has another child, Mackenzie, from a previous relationship and Dotson refers to her stepdaughter as her “bonus daughter.”
