Jevon Kearse

Jevon Kearse (born September 3, 1976), nicknamed "the Freak", is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the late 1990s and 2000s.

Kearse was born on September 3, 1976, in Fort Myers, Florida.

He attended North Fort Myers High School in North Fort Myers, and played high school football for the North Fort Myers Red Knights.

He was over 6ft tall and extremely agile, and added muscle without a loss of speed and agility.

Kearse began attracting college recruiters under his coach Wade Hummel.

He played strong safety and tight end, and in his first season in high school, he returned four kicks for touchdowns.

Following Kearse's senior season in 1994, he was honored as a prep All-American by USA Today.

In addition to his demonstrated athletic ability on the playing field, he carried a 3.6 grade point average and was a member of the National Honor Society.

Starting college at 6 feet, 4 inches tall, and 215 pounds, Kearse was projected as either a linebacker or defensive back.

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.

The Gators coaches red-shirted Kearse for the 1995 season, and he watched the Gators' run for the 1995 national championship game from the sidelines.

The Gators lost to the Nebraska Cornhuskers 62–24 in the national championship game, marking Florida's only loss of the season.

He began his college career at safety before shifting to outside linebacker in 1996.

Later in his college career, he would occasionally line up at defensive end during obvious passing situations to intensify the Gators' pass rush.

He was nicknamed "the Freak" by Southeastern Conference (SEC) opponents during the Gators' 1996 season.

In his debut game against Southwest Louisiana, he accounted for six solo tackles and a sack.

The Florida Gators would go on to win the national title, defeating Florida State Seminoles 52–20 in the 1997 Sugar Bowl.

For his on-field accomplishments, Kearse was named to the All-SEC Freshman team.

In a tragic counterpoint, his younger brother Jermaine was killed in a drive-by-shooting following the season.

Kearse made the All-SEC team in 1997 for the first time by registering a team high 6.5 sacks during the regular season as well as 38 tackles and two forced fumbles.

Kearse played college football for the Florida Gators, earning All-American honors and was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 1998.

In his 1998 campaign, he once again led the team with 7.5 sacks and also improved his tackles tally to 54.

He was named All-SEC again and earned the AP SEC Defensive Player of the Year that season, as well as making the list of several different All-American teams, and was a finalist for the Butkus Award, Lombardi Award, and Chuck Bednarik college defensive player of the year award.

He opted to forgo his final season of eligibility, stating, "I think I've accomplished the four goals I wanted to when I attended the University of Florida: To become a better person, to win a national championship, to get an education and finally to have a chance to play in the NFL."

During his college career, Kearse made 34.5 tackles for a loss, finishing eleventh on the Gators' all-time list.

He also compiled 145 total tackles, 16.5 quarterback sacks, six forced fumbles, one interception, one recovered fumble, and 19 pass deflections.

Kearse was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the first round pick of the 1999 NFL Draft.

He also played for the Philadelphia Eagles for four seasons between his two stints with the Titans.

During his first five years with the Titans, he was a three-time Pro Bowl selection and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1999.

His speed (4.43-second 40-yard dash) and 86 in wingspan, coupled with a 37 in vertical leap, greatly impressed coaches and earned him the nickname "The Freak".

Kearse, at 262 pounds, ran a 4.58 second 40-yard dash, 4.24 second 20-yard shuttle, and had a vertical jump of 37 inches at the 1999 NFL Combine.

Kearse lowered his 40-yard time to 4.43 at the University of Florida Pro Day in the spring of 1999.

On July 28, 1999, he signed a five-year, $6.1 million contract; however, according to NFLPA records he earned incentives that increased Kearse's compensation in his first five years to nearly $9 million.

He was the first player drafted by the Tennessee Titans; who had previously been the Houston Oilers.

In Kearse's debut game with the Titans, he helped them achieve a 36–35 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Steve McNair had been injured, and with backup quarterback Neil O'Donnell in his place, Kearse 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 (which led the AFC) that year and forced eight fumbles, which also led the NFL.

In an article series written for The Gainesville Sun in 2006, the Sun sportswriters ranked him as #16 among the top 100 greatest Gators from the first 100 years of Florida football.

Kearse was drafted by the Tennessee Titans as the 16th pick of the first round.