Jevon Kearse press conference transcript

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(opening comments)

Mike Reinfeldt:I want to thank everyone for coming today. We're here today to welcome Jevon Kearse back to the organization. We've agreed to terms, and we're excited about it. It's a good thing. He's done some wonderful things here in the past, and we look forward to the future, the contributions he can make, the unique skills that he brings. It's an exciting time for us.

(opening comments)

Jeff Fisher:It helps us as a football team to fill a need. Obviously in the last few days, we've lost two quality players, and we felt like all along that we'd have an opportunity to fill that hole with Jevon [Kearse]. I just need to point out, not only is this an opportunity to finish where he started, but he also has a lot left. This is just not a nostalgic thing to bring back the old days. He's here to fill a spot and to help us win football games and knock the passer down. We were very excited at the results of the physical and very excited to get things put together as quickly as we did. So I want to thank Mike (Reinfeldt), Vin (Marino) and Mr. Adams, of course Jevon and Drew (Rosenhaus) for their efforts. Now we can continue to move on, and with that, we'll open it up to questions.

(on his belief that Kearse can be productive)

Jeff Fisher:Yes, I believe that. He believes that. I believe that there's a lot left. He gets to put his hand down on the ground the same way he did before he left and do the same things on the same side as he was when he was at the peak of his production.

(on how his excitement to get single-blocked on the other side of Kyle Vanden Bosch)

Jevon Kearse:Right now I'm thinking I'm going to be getting single-blocked. But on top of that, if they're doubling those guys, I have no choice but to do what I have to do, which is get to the quarterback and do my job. When that happens, that's when they have to figure out, 'Well, who should we double today?' Basically, from that point you can pick your poison.

(on if he thought he would never be back with the Titans)

Jevon Kearse:I never thought that, really. I never thought that because I was already playing for five years. I know guys who started on teams and left and then came back to teams, situations like that. I always knew that there was always a chance. The fact that I know the system, I know the city – the city has welcomed me back; it's good to be back here – I always knew it was a possibility.

(on how he would describe his time with the Eagles)

Jevon Kearse:With the Eagles? I don't know. It was like I was lost for a minute. I was away from home. This is my home, so I took a vacation or something. But my stay in Philly, it was different. I'll say, when I went there, they were a team that was on the verge of winning a Super Bowl and everything like that. So it was a win-win situation, although the scheme, the scheme was not for me. The scheme was not for me, just sitting wide-footed in the two-gap stance in front of the tight end doing a lot of reading, when I started off just moving, getting off the ball, going to the ball, being aggressive, going to the ball, not reading and then reacting. I'm used to just doing what I do. Then, when I was there, I wasn't able to do that because it was just part of the scheme.

(on whether he put a smile on Coach [Jim] Washburn's face)

Jevon Kearse: Yes. I put a smile on his face just yesterday. He was just happy to see me back around here. We are already drawing up plays and seeing if we can get things going mentally right now.

(On how much things have changed around the Titans complex and if it is strange to come back)

Jevon Kearse:I see it as the same team and organization. Actually, I see the organization as better and improving, but it is different faces as far as my teammates and the chemistry that we had with each other. I was talking to Keith [Bulluck] yesterday and he said they had a good chemistry around here and everyone gets along and they have the same thing in mind and that is thinking about winning the Super Bowl.

(on how much he had to remind his agent Drew Rosenhaus that this is where he wanted to be)

Jevon Kearse: I had to keep reminding him. I had to kind of keep reminding him that I like the situation. Drew's job is to be an agent. As an agent, he is trying to get his player as much money as he can or whatever. I had to do a good job reminding him that this is a good situation right here. I would hate to pass this up. Outside the money and everything, this is the type of organization that I want to be in. I was like if it comes down to the money, I need you to holler at me and let me know what we are talking about, so I can be like I just want to get in there and play. It worked out.

(on how close he was to signing with the Minnesota Vikings)

Jevon Kearse: Yes. It got very close. They still wanted me to get on the plane and go there today. Why, when I'm at home here? I feel at home right here.

(on how he feels physically)

Jevon Kearse: I feel really good physically. I'm not going to lie, like last year I did rush myself getting back on the field. That is just a part of my nature. I feel like I need to be on the field if I'm a part of the team. I want to be on the field helping the team win. I didn't listen to my knee. I kind of ignored listening to my knee. It was telling me to back off or to chill out for a minute. I was pushing through everything. I didn't miss any practices, as far as training camp because I wanted to push myself through that and get back into football shape, but by doing that I kind of set myself back because of my knee and the way it was reacting from all the pounding because I was out for a year and just a couple of months off of surgery.

(on his current condition)

Jevon Kearse: Everything is great and it is getting even better. Better by the day.

(on what number he is going to wear)

Jevon Kearse: I was thinking about getting number 10. [laughter] I think somebody has it. Is it the quarterback or maybe a receiver? I think they came up with number 90. It was an old number just sitting around. It is going to be 90. It feels good on me. It feels different than 93.

(on whether he is worried about the pressure)

Jevon Kearse: I know the expectations are going to be there as soon as anyone turns the television on or reads the newspaper. And then when I meet people on the street, they always tell me 'you were everything when you played for Tennessee.' Now that I'm back with Tennessee, I wonder what they are going to say now. The expectations are going to be out there, but I'm going to do whatever I can and then try to do even more.

(on what kind of memories he has when driving by L.P. Field)

Jevon Kearse: I didn't know it was called L.P. Field. When I was here it went from Adelphia Coliseum to The Coliseum. What does L.P. stand for?

Jeff Fisher: You are supposed to know that.

Jevon Kearse: I do not know. I have not been here. I have been up in Philly.

Jeff Fisher: What do they call your stadium in Philly?

Jevon Kearse: Lincoln Financial. The Linc.

(on the difference in fans between Philadelphia and Tennessee)

Jevon Kearse: They are fanatics up there [in Philadelphia]. I can't put a finger on it. It is just different up there. I explained to everyone from playing in Tennessee, where the team moved here to Nashville, you can go out there and play your butts off and play a good game and lose and the fans will still be proud of you. We have next week. We have next year. We have tomorrow. Up there, you can play your butts off and do whatever, but if you lose the game, it is like you didn't do anything. It is like you went out there and everyone took a knee and let the team do whatever. The expectations up there are just crazy, whereas around here they are a little more lenient on you which is alright but then again you have to take it upon yourself as a player and give them what they want.

(on his expectation of how Kearse will be used)

Jeff Fisher:He's going to play as much and as often as he possibly can. If it's 60 plays a game, that's great. We still have an interest in signing additional players at the position, obviously, because there's going to be some rotation there. So it's as many plays and as often as he can possibly play.

(on where the team stands with other free agents)

Mike Reinfeldt: We don't really have anything to announce at this point in time. We have a number of other visits we're doing at this point in time, and we'll continue that process. But nothing really to announce at this time.