Jevon Kearse
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Jevon Kearse | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Date of birth | September 3, 1976 (age 30) |
| Place of birth |  Fort Myers, Florida |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight | 265 lb (120 kg) |
| Position(s) | Defensive end |
| College | Florida |
| NFL Draft | 1999 / Round 1 / Pick 16 |
| Career Highlights | |
| Pro Bowls | 1999, 2000, 2001 |
| Awards | 1999 AP NFL Defensive R.O.Y. |
| Records | NFL Sacks as a Rookie in a Single Season (14.5) |
| Stats | |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 1999-2003 2004-present |
Tennessee Titans Philadelphia Eagles |
Jevon Kearse (born September 3, 1976, in Fort Myers, Florida) is an American football player who currently plays Defensive End for the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL. Due to his rare athleticism and threatening style of play, he is known throughout the league as “The Freak”.
His cousin, Phillip Buchanon, currently plays cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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[edit] Early years
Kearse was born to Joseph and Lessie Mae Kearse. (Pronounced 'Curse') Joseph Kearse led a life of crime, and was murdered shortly before Jevon's birth. When Jevon was a toddler, his grandfather was shot down in front of his house. That same year his cousin Danny was killed. Another cousin, Marcell, died in prison. Kearse had an older brother, J.J., and a younger half-brother, Jermaine.
Jevon learned how to stay clear of trouble and found that school was a way out. His brother, J.J., started to hang out with a rough crowd. Jevon didn't follow in his footsteps and devoted his time to football. He was the star of the Lee Middle School team.
In eighth grade, Jevon made friends with Cisco Navas (Francisco Navas Arredondo). The Navas household was on the outskirts of Ft. Myers and surrounded by several acres of open space. In the 1992 school year he and his mother were invited to live with the Navas family (Yolanda McDowell house). Lessie Mae agreed to the arrangement and Jevon transferred his few possessions to the household.
[edit] High School Football
Jevon became serious about football in his high school years. He was over six feet tall and extremely agile. He began to gain muscle but did not lose his speed and agility. After he and Cisco transferred to North Fort Myers High School in North Fort Myers in 1993, Jevon began attracting college recruiters under his coach Wade Hummel. He played strong safety and tight end, and in his first season in high school football, he returned four kicks for touchdowns.
In 1994, Jevon's senior year, he was honored as an All-American by USA Today. In addition to his athletic ability, colleges were interested in his 3.6 GPA and membership in the National Honor Society.
[edit] College
Jevon was projected as either a linebacker or defensive back. He thought seriously about University of Notre Dame but instead attended The University of Florida, where cousin Johnnie Church was already on the football team.
Jevon was red-shirted for the 1995 season, which gave him the opportunity to experience college life without the pressure of being a full time football player. He watched the Gators' run for the NCAA title from the sidelines, before they lost to The University of Nebraska.
The following spring it was clear that he had the desire to start in the fall. Coach Steve Spurrier was planning to unleash the "Freak" on the SEC opponents. In his debut game against Southwest Louisiana, he accounted for six solo tackles and a sack.
That year, the Florida Gators won the national title in a game against Florida State University. Jevon made the All-SEC Freshman team. The happiness of this accomplishment was somewhat reduced when his younger brother, Jermaine, was killed in a drive-by-shooting after the season.
In his 1998 campaign, he was named All-SEC again and was named to several different All-American teams and was a finalist for NCAA Defensive Player of the Year.
[edit] NFL
[edit] Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans GM Floyd Reese found Jevon still available at the sixteenth pick, and took him with the support of head coach Jeff Fisher.
In Jevon's debut game with the Titans, he helped them to achieve a 36-35 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Steve McNair had been injured, and with backup quarterback Neil O'Donnell in his place Jevon helped lead the Titans to win the next four out of five games. In the first month of his NFL career, he was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month.
For all but one month of the season, he was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month, and ended up becoming NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year with the help of his rookie record-breaking performance with 14.5 sacks that year.
In that season, the Titans ended up winning the AFC Championship, but lost the Super Bowl to the St. Louis Rams. Jevon was furious, but looked forward to another chance in the following years.
The next season, Jevon accounted for fewer sacks but stated that he was playing better than his rookie season. The Titans lost their Divisional playoff games to the Baltimore Ravens who ended up winning the Super Bowl that season. Jevon also lost the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award to Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens.
[edit] Philadelphia Eagles
After his 2003 campaign, he was unable to get a new deal with the Titans after his contract expired, and was a restricted free agent. Looking for an anchor at DE, the Philadelphia Eagles signed Jevon for an unheard of eight-year, $65 million contract, more than any lineman before him.
Jevon played well with the Eagles in 2004, although his tackles and sacks numbers were not as high as usual. He was, however, a force to be dealt with and one of the main priorities to every offensive line coach who played against the dominating Eagles.
Philadelphia had a tremendous season that year, winning thirteen of their first fourteen games, losing only to the Pittsburgh Steelers in mid-season. They finished the season with a 13-3 record and earned home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Jevon's skills would be put to the test when the Eagles were to square off against Michael Vick and the Atlanta Falcons. Vick, who is the most mobile quarterback in the league, posed a real threat out of the pocket.
Defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles Jim Johnson called upon Kearse to adapt in a totally different environment, where his main objective was to keep Vick in the pocket. This would leave the quarterback to make a play with his arm instead of his legs. Jevon had played every position from free safety to linebacker in his years in college, but now he had to see if he could spy the QB through the majority of the game.
Michael Vick suffered that day, completing only 11 of 24 passes and with an interception, and being kept at just twenty-six yards rushing. This game sealed an NFC championship win, the one game that Philadelphia had lost in their last three consecutive seasons. Jevon's versatility gave the Eagles what they needed to get to the big game, he delivered a sack in that game and had 2 tackles. The Eagles defense, namely the 3 big key players, Kearse (who pressured Vick greatly), Dawkins (who made a key interception that made sure momentum would stay on the Eagles, and created pressure on Eagle Blitzes), and Jeremiah Trotter (Trotter might have been the Defensive Player of that game, racking up 8 tackles, shutting down Warrick Dunn, and also making tackles for losses), ultimately won the game against the Michael Vick-led Falcons.
Kearse was eager to play in the Super Bowl, with this being his second opportunity to prove to himself that he can achieve a victory in the biggest game of his life. The outcome, however, proved to be a difficult one for him as, once again, the victor was not decided until the last minute.
The Eagles lost the Super Bowl by only three points after a final drive that was orchestrated by Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb failed to come up with any points. Kearse himself was held to two tackles in the game, mostly by Patriots offensive tackle Matt Light.
In 2005, Kearse had a solid year similar to the year before, yet his team fell to a 6-10 record. During the season, starters like Pro Bowler Donovan McNabb, Pro Bowl running back Brian Westbrook, Pro Bowl center Hank Fraley, Pro Bowl tackle Tra Thomas, Pro Bowl cornerback Lito Sheppard, and others were out with injuries, and star wide receiver Terrell Owens was banished from the team nine games into the season.
2006 would be a short season for Kearse, as it was feared that he tore several ligaments in his knee, as well as dislocating his kneecap, tearing his knee capsule, straining his quadriceps tendon, and injuring his hamstring, during an overtime game against the New York Giants in week 2 of the NFL season. When he went into surgery, however, doctors were surprised to see that almost everything in his knee was intact, except for a tear to the lateral meniscus cartilage and a fracture to his tibia. The injury was downgraded from possibly career-ending to just a 12-week recovery. In light of these reports, Jevon's return to the NFL could prove to be as exciting as ever. Prior to the injury, he was on pace to have his best season yet, with 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble in only two games.
[edit] Personal
Moving from Brentwood, TN to his suburban NJ residence, Kearse also owns a home in Pompano Beach, FL. He is an avid collector of radio controlled airplanes and cars. Every year, Kearse's foundation raises money for Ft. Myers kids and youth programs. Single, Kearse hopes to marry one day.
| Preceded by Charles Woodson |
Defensive Rookie of the Year 1999 |
Succeeded by Brian Urlacher |
