Athletes - Jevon Kearse

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	Athletes - Jevon Kearse

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 Houston Texans.

Early years

Kearse was born to Joseph and Lessie Mae Kearse. 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. 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. Lessie Mae agreed to the arrangement and Jevon transferred his few possessions to the household.

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 Honors Society.

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.

NFL career

In 1999, he declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft. In the combine in Indianapolis, he scored the second-fastest time in the 10-yard dash. He also ran the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds, a time which is virtually unheard of for a lineman, and similar to times typically scored by defensive backs and wide receivers.

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 less 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.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Jevon Kearse ]

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Athletes - Jevon Kearse

Early years

High School Football

College

NFL career

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