Former Clemson safety Jayron Kearse says he is approaching this week’s NFL Scouting Combine by doing the best he can. In an article he wrote for SI.com, Kearse shares with the readers his mindset heading into the combine, which is set to begin on Saturday and will run through the weekend.
“When I first got to the training facility, I thought about different numbers I wanted to hit, but being here and going through the process I’ve veered away from focusing on specific numbers and am really trying to approach it as needing to do the best that I can do,” he wrote in the article. “That mindset has been a relief, and I’m generally comfortable no matter who is watching.”
The former Tiger writes he is the most comfortable with the on-field drills for the defensive backs and the bench press.
Kearse, whose uncle Jevon played 11 years in the NFL for the Titans and Eagles, has been working out in Arizona the last six weeks. He says Jevon has given him great advice on how to handle all the elements of the combine.
“He warned that a lot of guys can’t keep their composure with the demands of the combine—going to sleep at one in the morning and waking up at five for tests and meetings with teams,” Kearse writes. “To prepare, I’ve actually been testing those hours out. I want to make sure the lack of sleep doesn’t get to me once I’m at the combine.”
Besides testing his mental psyche the All-ACC safety says he wakes up at eight every morning and is at the facility to work out by nine. After eating breakfast he will work for about an hour and fifteen minutes and then will break for two hours before coming back in the afternoon and doing it again.
After the second workout, “you stick around for therapy, including the cold tub and discuss what is expected for the next day.”
Kearse repeats this each day Monday-Saturday before getting Sundays off.
“It’s pretty crazy because there is a lot being thrown at us, but being here has really helped me prepare,” he writes. “The combine is basically a track event where we’re running and jumping and whatnot, so just getting technique down is what I work on every day.
“The training has become very regimented at this point, and probably isn’t that different from an NFL training camp.”
Kearse says thinking of his daughter, Ja’riah, is what keeps him focused.
“I just say her name in my head, which helps remind me why I’m doing everything I’m doing and why I need to continue to strive for greatness,” he wrote.
Heading into the Scouting Combine, Kearse is being rated as a third- to fourth-round selection, but with his measurable and his rare athletic ability, Kearse could move his name up the draft board with a strong showing at the combine.
Though he did not finish the last half of the 2015 season as well as he started it, Kearse still totaled 76 tackles, including six tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. He also broke up eight passes and had three quarterback pressures.
He finished his career with seven career interceptions and 15 passes broken up.
Kearse is one of eight former Tigers from the 2015 team invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, which will be held in Indianapolis. The other seven players are Mackensie Alexander (CB), Kevin Dodd (DE), B.J. Goodson (LB), T.J. Green (SAF), Shaq Lawson (DE), D.J. Reader (DT) and Charone Peake.
The seven defensive players from Clemson’s top 10 defense invited to the combine are tied for the most in the nation with Ohio State.
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
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