GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jevon Kearse can't say for certain which of his Florida teammates it was. Maybe defensive end Tim Beauchamp. Maybe fellow linebacker Johnny Rutledge. Doesn't really matter. One them tossed out the nickname one day and it stuck.
"Man, where the hell did you come from? You're a freak!" Jevon Kearse
If you followed Florida football in the Steve Spurrier 1990s you remember Kearse. He was 6-foot-5, 265 pounds and would cover ground – and bury quarterbacks – like a charging rhinoceros. Ballcarriers in the Southeastern Conference experienced "The Freak," with his praying mantis arms and monstrous hands, up close and altogether too personal. Kearse cursed the SEC for three seasons, including as a redshirt freshman for Florida's national-championship team in 1996, and went on to be a first-round draft pick and 1999 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year after setting a rookie record with 14.5 sacks in helping the Tennessee Titans reach the first Super Bowl in franchise history.
That was 25 years ago.
"Yeah, but I'm still in the gym four days a week, lifting, doing cardio, on the treadmill," said Kearse, now 47 and living in Parkland, Fla., since retiring in 2010. "I still think I could give a team about 12 to 15 plays off the edge on the third down … as long as they spaced 'em out."
If that's the case (and any NFL team out there is interested), they'll need to wait until next week to put in the call. Kearse has an appointment with honorary "Mr. Two Bits" destiny Saturday when Florida and 19th-ranked Miami open the 2024 season with a hotly anticipated renewal of their once-iconic rivalry at Spurrier/Florida Field.
When he got the Two Bits call, Kearse needed, in his estimation, about two-tenths of a second to say yes.
Tennessee Titans defensive end Jevon Kearse (90) set a NFL rookie record that still stands with 14.5 sacks in 1999 and went to tally 74 sacks and 26 forced fumbles over his 11 seasons.
Kearse, like most UF players, never really got to watch George Edmondson, the original "Mr. Two Bits," doing his chant and routine in the stands at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. But he watched former teammates (Danny Wuerffel, Chris Doering, Thaddeus Bullard, Alex Brown, Ike Hilliard) take their ceremonial turns and hoped that one day the invitation would come.
Bonus: It came for Florida-Miami, a game he never got to play in, but one that he's taken part in by osmosis. Kearse was at an autograph-signing show this summer and ran into Lamar Thomas and Roscoe Parish, both of whom starred at UM and crossed paths with Kearse during their NFL days. Thomas, a Gainesville native, taunted Kearse about the 305 coming for the 352, but was kind enough to invite Kearse to a party Friday night so the Gators could at least enjoy one day of the homecoming weekend.
Here's betting Kearse enjoys himself, regardless of Saturday's outcome. Especially the pregame.
"Can't wait," he said.
As a Gator, Jevon Kearse (42) totaled 145 tackles over his three seasons, including 34.5 tackles for a loss (that's 11th on the all-time list), to go with 16.5 sacks, six forced fumbles and an interception from 1996-98.
Kearse's time as a Gator player (he tries to make two games a year) still holds a very special place in his heart. Far different from his nine NFL seasons when the game was a business.
"I know it's different now with NIL, but back then we were struggling college kids trying to live our best lives," he said. "It wasn't about money. It was a brotherhood, where guys looked after each other, pushed each other and had the other guy's back."
The good ol' days, right?
Speaking of which, Kearse recently played in a golf tournament where he ran into former Auburn and 15-year NFL standout linebacker Takeo Spikes. They talked about their days in the SEC, with Spikes offering up an observation that couldn't help but make Kearse smile.
"I'll bet Dameyune Craig is still thinking about you right now," Spikes said.
If you know, you know. If you don't, it's included in the video "Freak Show" below.
"I had a good time taming that Tiger," Kearse said.
