Kearse, who is 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 215 pounds, was expected to play linebacker or defensive back in college. He earned an athletic scholarship to the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played football for coach Steve Spurrier’s Florida Gators from 1995 to 1998. While at Florida, Kearse was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection by the Associated Press and Second-Team All-American by The Sporting News.
After graduating from high school in 1994, Kearse weighed 315 pounds and had no idea what kind of career would follow after playing four years of college football. During his senior year, he got invited to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, where he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.50 seconds and had a vertical jump of 42 inches. At the conclusion of the event, several teams expressed interest in drafting him, but only the New York Jets made him their second choice (after the Buffalo Bills) behind Michael Bennett. The Jets eventually selected Kearse with their second-round pick (54th overall).
In January 1999, the start of spring practice, Kearse reported to camp weighing 390 pounds and told coaches that he planned to lose 15 more pounds before season opener against Tennessee Titans. At the end of the spring drills, he was able to drop down to 355 pounds.
Kearse earned All-American accolades while playing collegiate football for the University of Florida. He was a first-round choice in the 1999 NFL Draft and played for the Tennessee Titans and Philadelphia Eagles. Kearse attended Florida from 1997 to 2000.
In 1997, he started 10 of 11 games at left guard and was part of an offensive line that allowed only 7.5 sacks in 1,074 passing yards while scoring 38 touchdowns. As a senior in 2000, he started 12 of 13 games at left guard and helped UF’s offense produce 4,653 total yards and 45 scores. He was selected as a first-team All-American by The Sporting News and College Football News.
After graduating from high school in Pensacola, Florida, Jevon Kearse decided to attend the University of Florida. He walked on to the football team as a freshman and ended up starting all 13 games at left guard as a sophomore. In 1998, he became a full-time starter and was named to several All-Southeastern Conference teams. After his junior season, Kearse entered the 1999 NFL Draft. He was drafted in the first round (sixth overall) by the Tennessee Titans and played there for one season before moving on to the Philadelphia Eagles. Kearse ended up winning two Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots in 2001 and 2002.
In a 2006 article series for The Gainesville Sun, sportswriters voted him 16th among the top 100 finest Gators in the first 100 years of Florida football. At the 1999 NFL Combine, he weighed 262 pounds and ran a 4.58 second 40-yard dash, a 4.24 second 20-yard shuttle, and a 37-inch vertical leap. Those numbers ranked third among all players at his position.
Kearse attended Lakewood High School in Lakewood, California. As a senior, he made 71 tackles, five interceptions, and returned two kicks for touchdowns. He also had nine sacks and forced three fumbles.
He committed to the University of Florida on January 15, 1997, just before his graduation from high school. He played only one season for the Gators, starting six games at cornerback before being sidelined with an ankle injury. He finished with 39 tackles and three interceptions. After leaving Florida as one of the most sought-after recruits in the nation, he entered the NFL draft. The Atlanta Falcons were the first team to select him in the first round (sixth overall). They traded their sixth pick to the Seattle Seahawks for their first-round choice (17th overall) and then traded that selection to the San Francisco 49ers for a third-round choice (71st overall).
Kearse started 11 games for the Seahawks in 1999 and 2000, finishing with 42 tackles and three interceptions. He also returned seven punts for 41 yards and one touchdown.
He was a member of the National Football League for eight years (NFL). He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Seattle Seahawks in 2012 and went on to win Super Bowl XLVIII with the team, defeating the Denver Broncos. Kearse attended Washington University and played football there. Kearse also spent time with the New York Jets and the Detroit Lions. His last team was the Buffalo Bills who released him in 2016.
In 2013, he started 10 games for the Seahawks and caught 63 passes for 855 yards and five touchdowns. In 2014, he started 13 games for the Seahawks and finished with 57 catches for 793 yards and four more scores. In 2015, he started 14 games for the Seahawks and had 52 catches for 699 yards and three touchdowns. In 2016, he started seven games for the Seahawks and had 35 catches for 462 yards and two more scores. After the season, he was traded to the Jets where he stayed for one game before being waived. Then he was signed by the Lions but didn’t appear in any games.
Kearse is the brother of former NFL wide receiver Pierre Kearse. They are both Haitian-Americans who came to the United States when they were children. Pierre first made a name for himself while playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2000 to 2004, where he caught 166 passes for 2,587 yards and 22 touchdowns. He then moved on to play for the New York Jets from 2005 to 2009, where he had another successful career with 97 catches for 1,451 yards and nine touchdowns.
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