Jayron Kearse facts for kids
Kearse (1) with the Clemson Tigers in 2015
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| Position: | Safety | ||||||||||||
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | February 11, 1994 Fort Myers, Florida, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 215 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | South Fort Myers | ||||||||||||
| College: | Clemson (2013–2015) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2016 / Round: 7 / Pick: 244 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Jayron Kearse (born February 11, 1994) is an American professional football safety. He played college football for the Clemson Tigers. He was chosen by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2016 NFL draft.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Jayron Kearse grew up in Fort Myers, Florida. He went to Cypress Lake High School and later South Fort Myers High School. When he was a freshman, he was 5 feet 8 inches tall and played safety. He then grew much taller.
Playing Quarterback
As a sophomore, Jayron became the starting quarterback for his team. He ran for over 1,000 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. He also threw for 5 touchdowns. In his junior year, he rushed for 1,600 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also had 2 interceptions while playing defense.
Senior Year and Awards
In 2012, Jayron moved to South Fort Myers High School. He played as a safety, running back, and wide receiver. He helped his team win 11 games and lose only 2. He ran for 528 yards and scored five touchdowns. He also caught five more touchdowns. On defense, he made 87 tackles, had three sacks, and caught three interceptions. One of his interceptions was returned for a touchdown. After his senior season, he was invited to play in a special All-American Bowl game.
Choosing a College
Jayron was a highly rated player by many experts. He first decided to play college football at Auburn University. Then, he changed his mind and committed to the University of Miami. However, after visiting Clemson University, he decided to play for the Clemson Tigers. He said he chose Clemson because the coaches truly cared about their players.
College Football Career
Jayron Kearse played strong safety for Clemson University from 2013 to 2015. He played in 40 games and started 29 of them. During his college career, he made 164 total tackles, caught seven interceptions, and broke up 11 passes. He also forced two fumbles and recovered two fumbles.
Freshman Season (2013)
In his first year, Jayron played in 12 games and started three. He made 55 tackles and led the team with four interceptions. In a game against Syracuse, he had eight tackles and his first college interception. He also had two interceptions in games against Maryland and Virginia. In the 2014 Orange Bowl win against Ohio State, he made 9 tackles and had a key interception.
Sophomore Season (2014)
As a sophomore, Jayron became a full-time starter. He started 12 out of 13 games at strong safety. He recorded 67 tackles, two interceptions, and seven pass breakups. He also had three sacks and recovered one fumble. He had an interception against the top-ranked Florida State University.
Junior Season (2015)
In his junior year, Jayron was known for his large size for a safety. He made 87 tackles, one interception, and broke up 8 passes. He was recognized as a second-team All-American. He had a career-high 3 tackles for loss against Georgia Tech. After the 2016 national championship game, Jayron decided to enter the NFL draft early.
College Statistics
| Season | Team | GP | GS | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||
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| Total | Solo | Ast | Sck | Tfl | PDef | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TDs | FF | FR | FR YDS | ||||
| 2013 | Clemson | 12 | 3 | 41 | 29 | 12 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 4 | 62 | 15.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | Clemson | 13 | 13 | 61 | 46 | 15 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 5 | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2015 | Clemson | 14 | 14 | 62 | 41 | 21 | 0.0 | 6.5 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Totals | 39 | 30 | 164 | 116 | 48 | 3.0 | 11.5 | 11 | 7 | 83 | 11.9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
Professional Football Career
Jayron Kearse was chosen by the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL draft. He was the 244th player picked overall.
Minnesota Vikings (2016–2019)
2016 Season
As a rookie, Jayron was one of the tallest safeties in the league. He was 6 feet 4 inches tall. He played in all 16 games and started one. He made 6 tackles on defense and 6 tackles on special teams.
2017 Season
In 2017, Jayron mostly played on special teams. He appeared in 15 regular season games and 2 playoff games. He made 13 tackles on defense and 14 tackles on special teams.
2018 Season
In 2018, he played in 16 games and started one. He often played as a slot cornerback. He had a great game against the New York Jets, making five tackles and half a sack. He led the team with 18 special teams tackles.
2019 Season
In 2019, Jayron played in 15 games and started 3 at free safety. He had a career-high nine tackles against the Atlanta Falcons. He made his first career interception against the Dallas Cowboys, catching a pass to win the game. He also helped seal a comeback victory against the Denver Broncos. During his time with the Vikings, he played in 62 games and made 62 tackles.
Detroit Lions (2020)
On March 27, 2020, Jayron Kearse signed a contract with the Detroit Lions. He played in 11 games and started 7. He made 59 tackles, forced one fumble, and broke up 2 passes. He tied his career-high with nine tackles against the Washington Football Team.
Baltimore Ravens (2020)
On December 31, 2020, Jayron was signed to the practice squad of the Baltimore Ravens.
Dallas Cowboys (2021–2023)
2021 Season
Jayron signed with the Dallas Cowboys on March 30, 2021. He was expected to be a special teams player. However, he became 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 started his first playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers, making 10 tackles.
2022 Season
On March 21, 2022, Jayron signed a new contract with the Cowboys. He started 14 games. He made 83 tackles, 2 sacks, and 2 fumble recoveries. He played through some injuries during the season.
2023 Season
In 2023, Jayron played in 16 games and started 13. He made 72 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and broke up 4 passes. He was not re-signed by the Cowboys after this season.
Professional Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Comb | Solo | Ast | Sck | Sfty | PDef | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TDs | FF | FR | YDs | ||
| 2016 | MIN | 16 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2017 | MIN | 15 | 0 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | MIN | 16 | 1 | 32 | 27 | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | MIN | 15 | 3 | 28 | 19 | 9 | 0.0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | DET | 11 | 7 | 59 | 41 | 18 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | DAL | 16 | 15 | 101 | 67 | 34 | 2.0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 34 | 17.0 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2022 | DAL | 14 | 14 | 77 | 55 | 22 | 1.0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 2023 | DAL | 10 | 8 | 47 | 30 | 17 | 1.5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 32 | 32.0 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 113 | 49 | 363 | 252 | 111 | 0.0 | 0 | 28 | 5 | 68 | 17.0 | 34 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | |
Personal Life
Jayron Kearse has family members who also played in the NFL. His uncle, Jevon Kearse, was a defensive end for the Tennessee Titans. His cousin, Phillip Buchanon, was a first-round draft pick by the Oakland Raiders.
