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Jermaine Kearse grew up less than an hour south of Century Link Field in Lakewood, Wash. He played his college football in Seattle at the University of Washington. But he fully achieved hometown hero status after his 35-yard touchdown catch in overtime Sunday sealed an incredible Seahawks comeback, sending them to their second straight Super Bowl.
It was an incredible redemption for the 24-year-old receiver as well as his quarterback Russell Wilson, whose four interceptions were all passes targeted for Kearse.
The last one of those, which came with just over five minutes left in regulation, hit Kearse right in the hands, bouncing out and right to Packers safety Morgan Burnett. If Green Bay hadn’t made a bunch of their own errors in the waning moments of the game, both Wilson and Kearse would be getting a lot of heat for wilting in the biggest game of the season.
Instead, the Seahawks led an improbable comeback from 12 points down with just over two minutes to play, with Wilson and Kearse sealing the game six plays into overtime.
After scoring touchdowns in both the 2013 NFC Championship and last year’s Super Bowl, Kearse was honored with his own day in his hometown. After the end of that game, he should probably be given his own week this year.
An undrafted free agent signee in 2012, Kearse is already one of the only NFL players (maybe the only one in recent years) to win a Super Bowl with the pro franchise located in the same metropolitan area where he went to high school and college.
The chance of doing so twice, while this time making the game-winning catch to extend the team’s season? Almost improbable.
Some three more oddities from Sunday’s incredible NFC Championship Game:
It was the fifth NFC title game in history to go into overtime and the first one ever decided by a touchdown. In fact, it was the first overtime touchdown in any conference championship since the league merger.
(Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports)
The Seahawks are the first team to advance to the Super Bowl as a one-seed in consecutive seasons since the 1982 and 1983 Washington Redskins. That team failed to defend its title, losing to the Raiders in Super Bowl XVIII.
