Age: 23
(Sept. 3)
College: Florida
Height: 6’4” Weight: 265
Prelude:
Looking to
upgrade their pass rush, the Titans chose Kearse in the first round (16th
overall) of the 1999 NFL draft. With his exceptional speed and wide wingspan,
he earned the nickname “The Freak” in college. He quickly moved into the
starting lineup with Tennessee.
1999 Season Summary
Appeared in
all 16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Sacks – 14.5 [4, 1st in AFC]
Most sacks,
game – 3 vs. Cleveland 9/19
Multi-sack
games – 3
Interceptions
– 0
Fumble
recoveries – 1
Forced fumbles
– 8
Tackles – 48
Assists – 9
Scoring
TDs – 1
Points – 6
Postseason: 4 G
Sacks – 3
Most sacks,
game – 2 vs. Buffalo, AFC Wild Card playoff
Interceptions
– 0
Safety – 1
TD – 0
Awards &
Honors:
NFL Defensive
Rookie of the Year: AP, PFWA
1st
team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, Sporting News
1st
team All-AFC: Pro Football Weekly
Titans went 13-3
to finish second in the AFC Central and qualified for the postseason as a Wild
Card entry while ranking third in the league with 54 sacks. Won AFC Wild Card
playoff over Buffalo Bills (22-16), AFC Divisional playoff over Indianapolis
Colts (19-16), and AFC Championship over Jacksonville Jaguars (33-14). Lost
Super Bowl to St. Louis Rams (23-16).
Aftermath:
Following his
outstanding first season in which he set a rookie record for sacks, Kearse
received Pro Bowl recognition after the 2000 and 2001 seasons as well. He
accumulated 11.5 and 10 sacks, respectively, while facing increased
double-teaming. A foot injury suffered in the first contest of the ’02 season
limited him to just four games and he missed time in 2003 with foot and ankle
injuries that significantly reduced his performance during the second half of a
year in which he registered 9.5 sacks. Kearse joined the Philadelphia Eagles as
a free agent in 2004 and, with his versatility, was a good fit in the
blitz-heavy scheme the Eagles employed. But while he stayed healthy, his play
lacked consistency and his sack total was only 7.5. He underachieved in 2005,
with another 7.5 sacks, and a major knee injury limited him to two games in
’06. After one more year in Philadelphia during which he lost his starting job,
Kearse returned to Tennessee in 2008 for his last two seasons. In all, over the
course of 11 years he accumulated 74 sacks. While a feared pass rusher with
tremendous athleticism early in his career, injuries ultimately wore him down.
[Updated 8/4/13]
[Updated 11/29/14]
[Updated 8/4/13]
[Updated 11/29/14]
--
Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie
of the Year in the NFL (including NFC/AFC), AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by
a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper
Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the
league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year).
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