Clemson safety Jayron Kearse driven to be the best — at everything
Jayron Kearse talks, and with boundless confidence he doesn’t mind sharing his opinion.
“I’m very confident in myself,” said Kearse, the Clemson junior safety from Fort Myers, Fla. “I feel like whatever I’m doing, I’m the best at it until somebody shows me otherwise.”
An All-American trash talker, Kearse will engage anybody — including his teammates during practice.
“If I’m going against them, I’m talking trash,” Kearse said Monday. “But they know the type of guy I am. They know that’s just the thing I do when I’m playing football.
“I’m so pumped up at practice or during a game, that’s just something I do.”
Extra long for a defensive back at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Kearse began to grow into an impact role last season on a team that led the nation in total defense and efficiency against the pass with 67 total tackles (fifth on the team), five tackles for loss, three sacks, two interceptions and fumble recovery.
“My goal this season is to have more than anybody than anybody else in whatever category there is,” Kearse said, “Just be the best all-around player I can be, the best safety in the ACC, the best safety in the nation, the best defensive back in the ACC and the nation.”
One of two returning starters on defense, Kearse came to Clemson from the same high school that produced Sammy Watkins. Three scouting services couldn’t reach a consensus on where he projected best so he was a top 15-16 “athlete,” capable of playing on either side of the ball.
Nephew to NFL all-pro end Jevon Kearse, the bloodline said defense. As a freshman he started three games, yet led the team with four interceptions.
“I came in as a freshman and played off athletic ability and made plays,” he said. “Last year I was better. I didn’t have as many picks as I did my freshman year, but I feel like I had a better season. This year I’m just trying to take it to an entirely whole (different) level and show people that I’m the best.”
Teammate Shaq Lawson said Kearse reminded him of Kam Chancellor, the Seattle Seahawks’ safety.
“They play just alike. He’s got an NFL body. He’ll be ready,” Lawson said. “He loves to talk football. He says when football’s over for him he wants to work for ESPN. He knows the game well.”
Kearse should again provide defensive coordinator Brent Venables with plenty of flexibility. Kearse’ athleticism allows him play near the line or drop into coverage. With his height and long reach, he can cover a lot of space in the middle field and some suggest he could probably play corner.
“He’s still got some things he needs to get better at, but he’s still got some flexibility, does some things that can help us, creates some depth,” Venables said. “He’s competitive. He’s tough. He’s pretty physical. He’s got good cover skills. He plays multiple positions for us and really does them all pretty strongly.”
Kearse’s most encouraging attribute may be his understanding of Venables’ scheme, which allows him to play in overdrive.
“It’s extremely fun,” Kearse said. “When you go out from watching film through the week you know what’s coming, you know what the team’s going to do. You know the ins and outs on certain downs and certain packages.”
Perhaps his biggest play as a sophomore was the fourth-down tackle that stopped Louisville’s final drive and preserved Clemson’s win. Kearse had seen the play on film.
“Even if there’s a spitting contest, I want to win,” he said. “If I’m losing then I feel like I’m not doing best I can. I don’t want to lose at anything I’m doing.”
This story was originally published August 24, 2015 at 9:54 PM with the headline "Clemson safety Jayron Kearse driven to be the best — at everything."