Jevon Kearse

Biography

Jevon Kearse was born on September 23, 1976, in Fort Myers, Florida to Joseph and Lessie Mae Kearse. Joseph had the skills to become an athlete but not the opportunity, and circumstances eventually led him to a life of crime. He was so large and so intimidating that he often robbed people without a weapon, and even the Ft. Myers police made a point of steering clear of him. Joseph was murdered shortly before Jevon was born.

Jevon’s family continued to be touched by tragedy. When he was a toddler, his grandfather was gunned down in front of his house. That same year, his cousin Danny was killed in self-defense when he assaulted someone. Another cousin, Marcell, died in prison after being sent up for attempted murder.

Growing up in the poverty-stricken Dunbar section of Ft. Myers during the height of the crack epidemic, Jevon learned how to spot trouble and steer clear of it. He also recognized that school might supply a way out. Jevon was an avid reader and, despite a stutter, enjoyed the classroom environment. His home life, however, was not conducive to studying, so he looked for any reason to get out of the cramped apartment in the Sabal Arms projects.Jevon had an older brother, J.J., and a younger half-brother, Jermaine. All three were big, fast and rambunctious. They would go fishing or crabbing, play basketball, wrestle, or play football.

When J.J. reached his teen years, he began hanging out with a rough crowd. Jevon, a much gentler soul, could not see himself following in his brother’s footsteps. He devoted himself instead to football, becoming the star of the Lee Middle School team. Yet even in the heat of battle, he rarely tackled opponents as hard as he could.

In eighth grade, Jevon became friends with Cisco Navas. The Navas home was on the outskirts of Ft. Myers, surrounded by several acres of open space. The more time Jevon spent there, the more he came to despise his own overcrowded circumstances. At the beginning of the 1992 school year, when Jevon was 16, he was invited to live with Cisco and his widowed mom. Lessie Mae agreed to the arrangement, and Jevon transferred what few possessions he had to casa Navas. Jevon’s grades shot up after the move. The rule was no fun until homework is done

Jevon was becoming increasingly serious about football. He was well over six feet tall, yet extremely quick and agile. He began taking weight-gaining supplements to add bulk to his body, but no matter how much muscle he packed on, he did not slow down. After he and Cisco transferred to Fort Myers High School in North Fort Myers in 1993, Jevon began attracting the attention of college recruiters as he refined his game under coach Wade Hummel. It was not unusual for a dozen scouts to attend his home games—along with 15,000 fans. He played strong safety and tight end, and was a terror on special teams. In his first season for the Red Knights, he returned four kicks for touchdowns.