Lakes Product Jermaine Kearse Scores Game-Winning Touchdown In Seahawk Win

Jermaine Kearse's touchdown midway through the fourth quarter of the Seattle Seahawks' Week 1 opener at Carolina is memorable for so many reasons.

It was the Lakewood native's first NFL touchdown, and the first for Seattle this season.

It showed the athleticism and sure hands of the Lakes High and University of Washington product - who leapt and spun to catch the ball - as well as the strong, accurate arm of Russell Wilson.

But most importantly, it was the first big offensive play of the season for the Seahawks on a day when penalties, a dropped ball and Carolina's defense kept them out of the end zone up to that point.

In the end, Kearse's catch with 10:13 left proved to be the game-winning score in Seattle's 12-7 win over the Panthers.

"He gave me a chance," Kearse said of Wilson, "and I just tried to make a play for my team."

His touchdown Sunday was the latest affirmation that Kearse is truly coming into his own at the NFL level. That was in serious doubt after the 6-foot-1 wideout went undrafted coming out of UW.

After signing with the Seahawks last year, Kearse didn't make much noise in terms of big plays or stats.

Then, during Seattle's training camp this past season, Kearse's play began to consistently get the attention of Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll. In the team's four preseason games, Kearse emerged as one of the Seahawks' main offensive weapons.

He caught two touchdowns and, in the most exciting surprise, returned a 107-yard kickoff for a score.

The reason for the improved play? Well, if you've watched the Seahawks play at any point in the last two months, you'd know that Kearse underwent Lasik eye surgery that helped him see the ball better.

But Kearse had yet to score in a regular-season NFL game until Sunday. Now he can scratch this one off his list.

The play deep down the right side of the field was almost identical to the prior snap, which saw Stephen Williams drop a perfectly thrown ball by Wilson.

While Seahawks fans might have been dejected, Wilson and Seattle went deep again, this time with Kearse getting behind two defenders, spinning and landing in the end zone with the ball.

It's a play he, nor Seahawk nation, nor all of his supporters in Lakewood will forget anytime soon.