Jayron Kearse facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jayron Kearse

Kearse (1) playing for Clemson
Free agent
Position:	Safety
Personal information
Born:	(1994-02-11) February 11, 1994 (age 31) Fort Myers, Florida, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:	215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school:	South Fort Myers (Fort Myers, Florida)
College:	Clemson (2013–2015)
NFL Draft:	2016 / Round: 7 / Pick: 244
Career history
Minnesota Vikings (2016–2019) Detroit Lions (2020) Baltimore Ravens (2020)* Dallas Cowboys (2021–2023)
Career highlights and awards
Second-team All-American (2015) Second-team All-ACC (2015)
Career NFL statistics as of 2023
Total tackles: 388 Sacks: 5.0 Forced fumbles: 2 Fumble recoveries: 4 Interceptions: 5
Player stats at PFR

Jayron Kearse (born February 11, 1994) is an American professional football player. He plays as a safety, which is a defensive position. He played college football for the Clemson Tigers. The Minnesota Vikings selected him in the 2016 NFL draft. He has also played for the Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens, and Dallas Cowboys.

Early Life and High School Football

Jayron Kearse grew up in Fort Myers, Florida. He first went to Cypress Lake High School. When he was a freshman, he was 5-foot-8 and played safety. He then grew taller very quickly.

As a sophomore, he became the starting quarterback for his team. He ran for over 1,000 yards and scored 13 rushing touchdowns. He also threw 5 passing touchdowns. In his junior year, he rushed for 1,600 yards and 17 touchdowns.

In 2012, for his senior year, he moved to South Fort Myers High School. He played many positions, including safety, running back, and wide receiver. He helped his team achieve a great 11–2 record. He rushed for 528 yards and scored five touchdowns. He also caught five more touchdowns. On defense, he made 87 tackles and had three interceptions. After his senior season, he was chosen to play in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl.

Many experts called Kearse an "athlete" because he was good at so many positions. Rivals.com and 247Sports.com rated him as a four-star recruit. This means he was considered one of the best young players in the country.

Kearse first decided to play college football at Auburn University in 2011. But he later changed his mind and chose the University of Miami. He even posted a picture with the Miami coach. However, after visiting Clemson University, he decided to commit to Clemson in August 2012. He said he chose Clemson because the coaches truly cared about their players.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	40‡	Commit date
Jayron Kearse ATH	Fort Myers, Florida	South Fort Myers (FL)	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	4.45	Aug 2, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 6 (OLB); 100 (national)   Rivals: 14 (ATH); 40 (FL); 242 (national)
‡ Refers to 40 yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources:

College Career at Clemson

Jayron Kearse received a football scholarship to Clemson University. He played as a strong safety for the Clemson Tigers from 2013 to 2015. A strong safety is a defensive player who helps stop runs and covers tight ends. During his college career, he made 164 total tackles and had seven interceptions.

Freshman Season (2013)

Before his first season, Kearse was hurt and missed the first game. He slowly got more playing time. In a game against Syracuse, he played a lot and made eight tackles. He also got his first career interception.

Later in the season, he started against Boston College. He had two more interceptions in games against Maryland and Virginia. In the final game against South Carolina, he played the whole game and made 10 tackles. He also had nine tackles and a key interception in the Orange Bowl win against Ohio State. As a freshman, he played in 12 games and led the team with four interceptions.

Sophomore Season (2014)

In 2014, Kearse became a full-time starter at strong safety. He started 12 out of 13 games. He made 67 tackles and had two interceptions. He also had three sacks and recovered one fumble.

He had four tackles and an interception against the top-ranked Florida State University. In the 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl against Oklahoma, he made four tackles and recovered a fumble.

Junior Season (2015)

As a junior in 2015, Kearse was known for his large size for a safety. He was a very physical player on defense. He recorded 87 tackles, one interception, and one forced fumble. He was named a second-team All-American by the Associated Press.

He had a career-high three tackles for loss against Georgia Tech. He made 10 tackles in the 2015 Orange Bowl against Oklahoma. After the 2016 national championship game, Kearse decided to leave college early for the NFL draft. Many experts thought he would be picked in the first round.

College Statistics

Professional Football Career

Minnesota Vikings (2016–2019)

The Minnesota Vikings picked Jayron Kearse in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He was the 244th player chosen overall. He joined his former college teammate, Mackensie Alexander, on the Vikings.

2016 Season

As a rookie, Kearse was one of the tallest safeties in the league. He played a lot in Week 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles. He appeared in 16 games and started one. He made 7 defensive tackles and 6 special teams tackles. His first career start was against the Chicago Bears.

2017 Season

In 2017, he mainly played on special teams. Special teams are units that play during kickoffs, punts, and field goals. He played in 15 regular season games and 2 playoff games. He made 3 defensive tackles and 14 special teams tackles.

2018 Season

In 2018, he played in 16 games and started one. He often played as a slot cornerback. He made 20 tackles and helped break up 2 passes. He also led the team with 18 special teams tackles.

2019 Season

In 2019, Kearse played in 15 games and started 3 at free safety. He made 27 tackles and broke up 6 passes. He also played in one playoff game. He had a career-high 8 tackles against the Atlanta Falcons. He made his first career interception against the Dallas Cowboys. He caught a "Hail Mary" pass to secure a 28-24 win. He also helped his team win against the Denver Broncos by defending a potential game-winning touchdown pass.

Kearse played 62 games for the Vikings, starting five of them. He made 79 tackles, one interception, and 39 special teams tackles.

Detroit Lions (2020)

On March 27, 2020, Kearse signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Lions. He was suspended for the first three games of the 2020 season. He was allowed to play again on October 1, 2020. In Week 9, he became the full-time starter at strong safety against his old team, the Vikings. He tied his career-high with nine tackles in Week 10.

Kearse was not active for the Week 16 game. On December 28, 2020, the Lions released him before the last game of the season. With Detroit, Kearse played in 11 games and started 7. He made 59 tackles and forced one fumble.

Baltimore Ravens (2020)

On December 31, 2020, Kearse joined the Baltimore Ravens practice squad. His contract with the team ended after the season on January 25, 2021.

Dallas Cowboys (2021–2023)

2021 Season

Kearse signed with the Dallas Cowboys on March 30, 2021. He was expected to be a special teams player. However, he surprised everyone by becoming the Cowboys' starting strong safety. He started 15 games and had a career-high 92 tackles. He also had 2 interceptions and broke up 10 passes.

He made 9 tackles against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Denver Broncos. He also had 9 tackles and 2 pass breakups against the Las Vegas Raiders. He missed the last game of the season due to illness. He started his first career playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers. He finished that game with 10 tackles.

2022 Season

On March 21, 2022, Kearse signed a new two-year contract with the Cowboys. He started 14 games and made 83 tackles. He also had 2 sacks, one interception, and 2 fumble recoveries. He hurt his left knee early in the season and played with the injury in many games. He missed 3 games because of his knee. He also hurt his right shoulder later in the season.

He had 7 tackles against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before leaving with his knee injury. He made nine tackles and one sack against the Chicago Bears. He also had 8 tackles against the Indianapolis Colts.

2023 Season

In 2023, Kearse played in 16 games and started 13. He made 72 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and broke up 4 passes. He missed one game due to an injury. The Cowboys did not re-sign him after the season.

Professional Statistics

Personal Life

Jayron Kearse has family members who also played in the NFL. His uncle is Jevon Kearse, who was a great defensive end for the Tennessee Titans. His cousin, Phillip Buchanon, was a first-round pick in the 2002 NFL draft.