Jevon Kearse

At 48 years old, Jevon Kearse has this physical status:

Jevon Kearse (born September 3, 1976) was a former football player who competed in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons in the late 1990s and 2000s.

Kearse played college football for the University of Florida and received All-American honors.

He appeared in the 1999 NFL Draft as a first-round pick for the Tennessee Titans and Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL. Kearse played for the Eagles for four seasons between his two stints with the Titans.

In 1999, he was a three-time Pro Bowl pick and AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year during his first five years with the Titans.

Both his unusual speed of 4.43 inches (220 cm) wingspan, as well as a 48-inch vertical leap, impressed coaches, earning him the nickname "The Freak."

Early years

Kearse was born in Fort Myers, Florida, on September 3, 1976. He attended North Fort Myers High School in North Fort Myers, Florida, and was a member of the North Fort Myers Red Knights. He was over 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) tall and lethal, and he gained muscle without losing speed or agility. Under new head coach Wade Hummel, Kearse began recruiting college students. He had a strong safety and tight end, and he had four kicks for touchdowns in his first season in high school.

USA Today named Kearse as a prep All-American following his senior season in 1994. In addition to his athletic ability on the playing field, he had a 3.6 grade point average and was a member of the National Honor Society.

Personal life

Kearse has lived in Moorestown, New Jersey, since being a student at the University of New Jersey.

Jayron Kearse, his nephew, plays football in the NFL.

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College career

Kearse was expected to be either a linebacker or defensive back in college, and at 6 foot, 4 inches tall, 215 pounds. He accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators football team from 1995 to 1998. He began his college career in safety before transferring to outside linebacker in 1996. He'll occasionally line up at defensive end in ostensible passing situations to exacerbate the Gators' pass rush later in his college career.

For the 1995 national championship game from the sidelines, the Gators' red-shirted Kearse for the 1995 season. In the national championship game, the Gators lost 62–24, marking Florida's only loss of the season. During the 1996 season, he was nicknamed "the Freak" by Southeastern Conference (SEC) opponents. He made six solo tackles and a sack in his debut game against Southwest Louisiana. The Florida Gators will continue to win the national title after defeating the Florida State Seminoles 52-20 in the 1997 Sugar Bowl. Kearse was selected to the All-SEC Freshman team for his on-field work. His younger brother Jermaine was killed in a drive-by-shooting attack following the season, bringing a sad conclusion.

For the first time since joining a team with 6.5 sacks during the regular season, as well as 38 tackles and two forced fumbles, Kearse made the All-SEC team in 1997. He led the team with 7.5 sacks and also raised his tackle total number to 54 in his 1998 campaign. He was named All-SEC again and named AP SEC Defensive Player of the Year for the Associated Press' 2011-2015 season, as well as a slew of many other All-American teams, and a finalist for the Butkus Award, Lombardi Award, and the Chuck Bednarik college defensive player of the year.

"I think I've achieved the four goals I set out for when I attended the University of Florida: To become a better person, to win a national championship, and finally to play in the NFL," the man said.

Kearse made 34.5 tackles for a loss in his college career, finishing eleventh on the Gators' all-time list. He also had 145 total tackles, 16.5 quarterback sacks, six forced fumbles, one intercepted fumble, one recovered fumble, and 19 pass deflections. The Sun sportswriters ranked him #16 among the top 100 players from the first 100 years of Florida football in an article series written for The Gainesville Sun in 2006.

Professional career

Kearse, who weighed in at 262 pounds, completed his 40-yard dash, 4.24 seconds 20-yard shuttle, and completed a 37-inch vertical jump at the 1999 NFL Combine. In the spring of 1999, Kearse slowed his 40-yard time to 4.43 at the University of Florida Pro Day.

The Tennessee Titans selected Kearse as the 16th pick of the first round in the first round. He signed a five-year, $6.1 million deal on July 28, 1999; however, NFLPA reports he received compensation that increased Kearse's salary in his first five years to nearly $9 million. He was the first player drafted by the Tennessee Titans, who had previously been with the Houston Oilers.

In Kearse's first game with the Titans, he was instrumental in their 36-35 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. Steve McNair was injured, and Kearse helped lead the Titans to victory the next four out of five games with backup quarterback Neil O'Donnell. He was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month in the first month of his NFL career.

He was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for just one month of the season, and he went on to become NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year with 14.5 sacks (which led to the AFC) that year and caused eight fumbles, which also led the league. He had 57 tackles and batted away nine runs while still losing seven of his tackles. In the AFC wild card game against the Buffalo Bills, he was responsible for two sacks (quarterback Rob Johnson) and two blocked fumbles (quarterback Rob Johnson). He was also credited with a safety in the "Music City Miracle" video game. Kearse came in second second in the annual polling for the AP Defensive Player of the Year, losing out to Warren Sapp. He was the first rookie defensive end in AFC history and the first rookie DE in the NFL after Detroit's Al "Bubba" Baker in 1978 to be named a Pro Bowl starter. The Titans made it to Super Bowl XXIV, the first year in which he was born, but the St. Louis Rams lost, to Kurt Warner-led St. Louis.

Kearse had fewer sacks (11.5) in the upcoming season, but he said he was doing better than his rookie season. The Titans lost their Divisional playoff games to the Baltimore Ravens, who then went on to win the Super Bowl for the first time this season. Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens received the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award once more. In addition, he had 53 tackles (six for losses), compelled four fumbles, had six pass deflections, and was voted to the Pro Bowl for the third time.

When the Titans traded for Kevin Carter in 2001, Kearse went from left defensive end to right defensive end. Kearse responded well and forced three fumbles, while still requiring three fumbles, and batted two passes while racking 36 yards. In 2001, Kearse was elected to his third straight Pro Bowl with the Titans. On the second play from scrimmage against the Eagles in 2002, Kearse fractured his fifth metatarsal in his left foot, and he was suspended for the next 12 games. The Titans returned to the AFC championship game but lost to Oakland due to Kearse's injury, although playing in just four games (starting one).

Kearse's first nine games saw 9.5 sacks, but the final seven games were cut out due to a sprained ankle injury. He also appeared in the 2003 Titans who made the playoffs and won their first-round match against Baltimore before losing a close divisional match against the eventual world champion New England Patriots.

After his deal with the Titans came to an end, Kearse was unable to reach an understanding and became an unrestricted free agent during his 2003 campaign. At the time, the Philadelphia Eagles signed Kearse to a record-breaking deal for a defensive lineman; all in all, the eight-year deal would cost Kearse $65 million with a $16 million signing bonus.

Kearse played well with the Eagles in 2004, but his tackle and sack totals were not as high as he had expected during his time with the Titans, but not as much as he had previously achieved. He was, however, a defensive force and was involved in the game plans of opposing offenses. Philadelphia made a 13–3 record and gained home-field advantage in the playoffs during 2004. The Eagles lost Super Bowl XXIX 24-21 to the New England Patriots after eliminating the Minnesota Vikings and the Atlanta Falcons.

Kearse's team had a good year in 2005, but his squad lost to a 6–10 record. Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook, Hank Fraley, Tra Thomas, Lito Sheppard, and others were out for surgery, and Terrell Owens, the team's starter, was suspended from the team nine games into the season. He was fired for the second straight season (also leading the Eagles in sacks), but in 2005, he batted down 8 passes and forced three fumbles.

Kearse's first two games of the season would be short, with 3.5 sacks in the first two games of the season before suffering a serious knee injury. During an overtime game against the New York Giants in week two of the NFL season, it was feared that he tore multiple ligaments in his kneecap, dislocating his kneecap, straining his quadriceps tendon, and injuring his hamstring. Doctors were surprised to learn that virtually all of his knee was intact, except for a tear to the lateral meniscus cartilage and a fractured the tibia. The injury went from potentially career-ending to just over a 12-week recovery in a short period of time.

Kearse did not appear to have recovered his burst on the track, and after a substandard performance, he lost his starting position to longtime teammate Juqua Thomas in Week 11 of the 2007 NFL season. Many people think he will be cut by the 2008 season due to this lack of production and the high cost of Kearse. This rumour turned out to be justified; he was fired by the team on February 28, 2008, effectively ending his service for the first three years. Kearse's four years with Philadelphia brought him nearly $29.2 million in 2004.

Kearse returned to the Titans on March 6, 2008, as a free agent. Kearse has signed a two-year, $6.5 million contract, as well as a $1.3 million signing bonus. In the first year, he earned over $3 million. Kearse played in all 16 games in 2008, ending with 3.5 sacks. Jeff Fisher replaced Kearse for William Hayes during the 2009 season.

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