Hard Work and Dedication Pay Off
Vernon Kearney (Senior, Cornerback) had a weekend that some would consider to be a dream-come-true. Within mere hours of each other, the Bradenton, Florida native brought to realization that “dreams can become reality through faith, hard work and persistence. Kearney was able to bring to realization two major milestones in his life. On Saturday evening, April 27, 2013, he was able to realize one of his dreams as he signed an Undrafted Free-Agent contract to play professional football with the National Football League's Buffalo Bills. Less than 24 hours later on Sunday, April 28, Kearney was recognized as a graduating member of the class of 2013 at Lane College. Kearney and 235 other classmates walked across the stage at Oman Arena to receive their diplomas as part of the largest graduating class in Lane College history.
As a member of the Dragons football team, Kearney showed again that hard work and dedication does pay off. After his sophomore season, Vernon converted from Wide-Receiver to Cornerback for the Dragons defense. In his Junior Season (2011), he started gaining experience at his new position while also catching the attention of many professional scouts. During his junior season, he collected 21 total tackles and had seven defensive break-ups. Kearney was selected as Team Captain for the 2012 (Sr.) season and did not disappoint anyone. He anchored the cornerback position, leading the defensive unit to a # 1 ranking in the SIAC for Pass Defense, and a # 3 ranking on Total Defense. He collected 24 total tackles while hauling in 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble and a recovery. He was selected to the SIAC first-team All-Conference Squad, and selected to represent Lane College as the “Athlete of the Year” with the Jackson Madison County Hall of Fame. Kearney shined at the Raycom All-Star Classic and the Texas vs the Nation game where he showed many scouts his ability to play at the next level. Other teams such as the Ravens, Browns, and Raiders showed interest in signing Kearney on Saturday, but the Buffalo Bills won his heart. The scouting report from the Bills headquarters introduced Kearney as a “tall, athletic cornerback who started to make a name for himself at the Texas vs. the Nation Game and Raycom College Football All-Star Classic. Unproven small-schooler, but has high upside.”
Hard work and dedication has helped Kearney get to this point in his career, and we believe that it will continue to provide the guidance needed as he goes forward.
