Jason Kearns had never visited Lindsborg, Kansas. The 2000
Hollister High graduate simply packed up his bags and left.
Jason Kearns had never visited Lindsborg, Kansas. The 2000 Hollister High graduate simply packed up his bags and left.
After spending the 2000 and 2001 football seasons as a receiver/return man for Cabrillo College in Aptos, Kearns was off to play wide receiver for The Terrible Swedes of Bethany College.
“They came out and recruited a couple of us,” said Kearns, who was a Monterey Bay League honorable mention wideout for the Balers his senior season. “I saw a videotape and all they did was pass. That was enough for me.”
When Kearns first got to “Little Sweden, USA” he knew he wasn’t in Hollister anymore. Lindsborg’s population is 3,500. The enrollment at Bethany College is 300, the size of Anzar High in San Juan Bautista.
“It was a culture shock,” said Kearns. “I was homesick at first. When I went to Cabrillo I could get home in 40 minutes. But it was easy to make friends here. Everbybody knows each other on campus.”
Bethany College is a haven for receivers because of its multiple set offense.
“We run four or five receivers nearly every play,” said Kearns. “We run no huddle. I just had to learn the different formations.”
Kearns’ quarterback was Mike Strack, a NAIA All-American as a junior and a probable repeat All-American as a senior.
“When I first saw Jason in the spring, I was real excited about him,” said Strack. “He filled a big hole for us. He has a great attitude, plus he’s tough. He’s a competitor.”
“Jason has a great work ethic,” said Swedes head coach Ted K. Kessinger. “He has great hands, runs good patterns. He’s knowledgable, Savvy. He just had to improve his technique. That’s where he has improved the most.”
Coach K went on.
“To show how well-respected Jason is around here, his teammates voted him one of the captains going into next season,” he said.
On the field, Kearns flourished under the “throw first, throw second” philosophy of the Swedes. Kearns had 47 catches, which ranked him fifth in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. He had 687 yards and four TD grabs and earned Second Team all-KCAC.
“I was thinking about it and I caught almost as many passes in one year at Bethany than I did in two years at Hollister and two years at Cabrillo,” said Kearns, who had 35 catches combined his junior and senior years in high school.
In a game against Southwestern to start the season, Kearns had 11 catches for 145 yards, his highwater mark for one game.
“That was bittersweet because we lost,” said Kearns.
“Jason has had some big games for us,” said Strack. “And that was one of them.”
As for 2003, Strack is gone and so is the backup QB, who was also a senior. Kessinger is hot on the recruiting trail to find some fresh arms, and a few new wideouts. Kearns will be vying for even more passes thrown his way.
“We’re counting on Jason to have a big year next season,” said Kessinger.
Kearns, a communications major, will be in the area this January, working as an intern at KDON radio in Salinas.
“I don’t know what I’m going to use my major for,” he said.
The way Kearns is going, he should be able to catch on somewhere.
