October 03, 2014 | Football, General
This story first appeared in Washington's Gameday program on Sept. 27, 2014
By Mason Kelley
GoHuskies.com
When Jermaine Kearse first arrived on Washington's campus in 2008, D'Andre Goodwin was one of the first people he met.
“We've been friends ever since,” Kearse said.
The former teammates are so close, they continue to be roommates as Kearse pursues his NFL dreams with the Seahawks and Goodwin works his way up the coaching ladder with the Huskies.
On the rare occasions the friends are home at the same time, they sit on the couch and reminisce about the ups and downs of life in college.
“At that time, you really don't realize how special those moments are,” said Kearse, who was last week's Husky Legend. “You forget. Then you realize how much fun you had and all the great experiences you had.”
It has only been a few years since Kearse traded purple and gold for blue and green, so he isn't quite sure he is old enough to qualify for Husky Legend status.
“It feels kind of weird,” he said. “It's an honor to be one of the many great Huskies to be recognized with something like that.”
Kearse might not feel old enough to be a Husky Legend, but those who follow the program have been tracking his career since he was a standout at Lakes High School.
The 24-year-old is one of the rare athletes who can say they went from local high school hero to local college standout before becoming a local legend by helping the hometown team win its first Super Bowl.
“Growing up, I never thought this would happen,” Kearse said. “That was nowhere in my thoughts. It's pretty cool to live out this part. It's crazy.”
The past few years have been so surreal, Kearse has a tough time processing everything he has experienced.
“I think it's definitely going to take years, because it's still taking time to process that I won a Super Bowl,” he said. “It still doesn't feel like anything at this moment, but I'm sure when I'm done playing, 15 years from now or sometime, I'm going to look back and think about those memories.”
During his four-year career, Kearse finished second on the Huskies' all-time list for receptions (180) and receiving yards (2,871). In the 2011 Alamo Bowl, he hauled in five passes for 198 yards and a touchdown.
But, the one moment that stands above the rest is Washington's 16-13 upset win over No. 3 USC in 2009. With 3 minutes, 3 seconds left on the clock, he caught a 21-yard pass from Jake Locker on third-and-15. Later in the drive, he caught a 19-yard pass that helped set up Erik Folk's game-winning field goal.
After the win, the fans stormed the field. They lifted Kearse like he was crowd surfing in a mosh pit.
“I've never experienced anything like that,” Kearse said. “Just to have that whole experience, to have pretty much the whole stadium down on the field after you pull an upset victory like that, that's something I'll never forget.”
These days, Kearse is making memories of the NFL variety. In his second season last year, he started five games, catching 22 passes for 346 yards and four touchdowns.
The season got off to a slow start, with Kearse spending most of his time on special teams.
“That was tough, because you want to make an impact,” he said. “When you win a game, you want to feel like there was something you did that helped in the win. Individually you have to fight through those thoughts and keep pushing, win your opportunity.”
He made the most of the opportunities he was given and, by the end of the year, he was a Super Bowl standout, catching four passes for 64 yards and a touchdown during the Seahawks' 43-8 win.
Now that he has found success in the NFL, his goal is to continue growing his game.
“Everyone would like to be a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro, so that's always a goal to get to that point, but I just want to get better as a player and as a person every day,” Kearse said.
While he has found success at every level, Kearse said it was his time at Washington that helped become the person he is today.
“You learn about life in college,” he said. “You move away from home, even though I didn't move that far, and you deal with different types of adversity, and you learn to deal with it on your own. It was a fun experience. It was definitely a memorable experience with all of the people you meet.”
Kearse went from high school star in Lakewood, Wash. to collegiate standout on Montlake. Now he spends his weekends downtown at CenturyLink Field. A local product in every sense, Kearse might not feel old enough to be a Husky Legend, but he has accomplished so much is such a short period of time, he has more than earned the honor.
