By Loyd McIntosh
Will Evans broke out of his cocoon when he left the familiar world of coaching to jump headfirst into entrepreneurship. Appropriately, he named his business Butterfly Training, with the goal of helping other people break out of their cocoons as well.
Evans sees the process of a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly as a metaphor for how people should live, and it serves as a practical guide for every stage of development. “Butterfly means new beginning, new transformation,” Evans says. “Everybody is in some type of cocoon, and we have to break out. That’s how I approach everything.”
Originally from Montgomery, Evans attended Jefferson Davis High School (now renamed JAG High School), where he excelled as a cornerback for the Volunteers. He accepted a scholarship offer from UAB, playing under head coach Watson Brown from 2003-2006, and was a solid contributor in the Blazers’ secondary and special teams.
Following graduation, Evans gave professional football a shot, playing arena football for a short time before hanging his cleats up for good. Following his retirement from pro ball, he settled in Calera, where he and his wife started their family, which has grown to five children. Along the way, he established himself as a highly respected high school assistant coach, eventually ending up on the staff at Hewitt-Trussville.
While he enjoyed coaching young people, the 45-mile commute began to take its toll.
“I was living in Calera and driving to Hewitt-Trussville every day. That was an hour one way. With traffic, it might be longer. I thought, ‘I’ve got to be able to do something on this side.’”
Meanwhile, Evans started training some guys from his church in his garage. Soon after, he found himself in demand as an in-person fitness trainer while other clients found their way to the Evans family home. Leaning heavily on his Christian faith, Evans decided the time was right to strike out on his own. “I outgrew my garage and got a building in Calera and opened up the business in 2022, and it just went on from there,” says Evans.
Christening the business Butterfly Fitness, Evans was a success, and after a little more than three years in operation, he says a chance to relocate to Alabaster opened up unexpectedly, an opportunity he credits 100 percent to God. “Faith landed me here in Alabaster. The building wasn’t even supposed to be available,” Evans says. “That’s straight faith. That was God looking out for me.”
Evans relocated Butterfly Training—officially named Butterfly Sports Performance Fitness & Wellness Institute, and commonly referred to simply as The Butterfly—to U.S. 31 in January 2026. While the gym is open to the public, Evans is busy building out the space into his vision of a full-service fitness and wellness facility for everyone, regardless of where they are on their fitness journey.
Also a certified nutritionist as well as a personal trainer, Evans says Butterfly Fitness is a place for high-end athletes looking to get stronger and faster as well as for people struggling to improve their health and regain a quality of life. Moreover, Evans wants the community to know that he and his staff offer a safe, judgement-free environment where they are supported and cared for, a sentiment rooted in his faith and a sincere desire to help people live life to the fullest. “We do everything. We’re not just for athletes. We want to be one of those places that serve the entire community,” says Evans. “Athletics is one of the main reasons why I started it, but I ended up helping a lot of people lose weight.”
Evans recalls working with an older married couple during the early days in his garage who came to him looking for help. The experience is a major part of the Evans mission and vision for The Butterfly. “They were sad they had let themselves get out of shape. I will never forget the tears that I held back to see their faces and seeing them give up,” Evans says. “That was one of those things where I was like, ‘man, I never want to see that again.’ I tell everyone that comes in that we’re one big family. I don’t want to go off the path that God told me to go down.”
Evans and his team also train some of the city’s top athletes, including members of the Thompson High School football team, working to improve their strength, speed and mobility. It’s all part of his goal to meet people where they are and help them break out of their cocoon, spread their wings and fly.
“I just want The Butterfly to be something that the community is proud of, where I can help athletes grow, help seniors stay active and help families get healthier,” he says. “I want people, when they see The Butterfly, to think, ‘I need to get in there. I need to transform and break out of my cocoon.’”
Butterfly Sports Performance Fitness & Wellness Institute is located at 895 US 31 in Alabaster and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m., Saturdays 7-11 a.m. and closed on Sunday. Learn more at butterflytrainingllc.com.