Rex Kern

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name =

| image = 1986 Jeno's Pizza - 31 - Rick Volk and Leroy Kelly (Rex Kern crop).jpg

| alt =

| caption = Kern in 1971, with the Colts

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1949|5|28|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Lancaster, Ohio, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| position = Defensive back (NFL)
Quarterback (college)

| number = 44, 45

| status =

| draftyear = 1971

| draftround = 10

| draftpick = 260

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 11

| weight_lbs = 190

| high_school = Lancaster (OH)

| college = Ohio State

| teams = * Baltimore Colts ({{NFL Year|1971}}–{{NFL Year|1973}})

Buffalo Bills ({{NFL Year|1974}})

| highlights = * 2× National champion (1968, 1970)

First-team All-American (1969)
3× Second-team All-Big Ten (1968, 1969, 1970)

| CollegeHOF = 2202

| pfr = KernRe20

}}

Rex William Kern (born May 28, 1949) is an American former professional football player. He played professional football in the National Football League (NFL) at defensive back for the Baltimore Colts and Buffalo Bills. In college, Kern was the quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 1968 to 1970; the Buckeyes went undefeated in 1968 and were national champions. Kern was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2007.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cfbhall.com/inductees/rex-kern-2007|title=Inductee Rex William Kern 2007 College Football Hall of Fame}}

Early life

Kern was born on May 28, 1949, in Lancaster, Ohio, where he was raised by his mother Jean, a former high school athlete, and father Trenton Kern, a barber.{{Cite web |author=Staff Writer |date=December 3, 2007 |title=Kern credits his roots |url=https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2007/12/04/kern-credits-his-roots/23742034007/ |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=The Columbus Dispatch |language=en-US}} Kern was a star three-sport athlete for Lancaster High School and graduated in 1967. His favorite high school sports season was with his 1966 basketball team.{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Tom |date=October 26, 2021 |title=Former Ohio State quarterback Rex Kern returns to Lancaster where it all started |url=https://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/story/news/2021/10/26/former-ohio-state-quarterback-rex-kern-lancaster-book-signing/6174682001/ |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=Lancaster Eagle-Gazette |language=en-US}} In baseball, he was selected in the 16th round of the 1967 baseball draft (306th overall) by the Kansas City Athletics,{{Cite web |title=1967 Baseball Draft by Baseball Almanac |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/draft/baseball-draft.php?yr=1967 |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=www.baseball-almanac.com}} and was offered basketball scholarships to UCLA, North Carolina, and Ohio University. However Kern had long sought to play basketball for Fred Taylor of Ohio State and had fostered a relationship with Taylor that led to a scholarship offer.

During the recruiting process, he was also recruited by Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes and committed to Ohio State to play both sports. Hayes and Taylor agreed Kern could play both sports. He was drafted by the A’s after agreeing to attend Ohio State, and Trenton Kern reminded his son that Kern had already given his word to play for Hayes and Taylor.

College career

At Ohio State, Kern quarterbacked the freshman team in 1967, which included 11 high school All-Americans,{{Cite web |title=The Super {{not a typo|Sophmore}} Buckeye Class Of 1968, the Best? |url=https://247sports.com/college/ohio-state/board/120/contents/the-super-sophmore-buckeye-class-of-1968-the-best-34987365/ |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=247Sports |language=en}} but suffered a back injury playing freshman basketball.{{Cite web |last=Grega |first=James |date=2018-06-13 |title=How Fred Taylor Played a Role in Recruiting Rex Kern, One of the Cornerstones of Ohio State's 1967 Recruiting Class |url=https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2018/06/93690/how-fred-taylor-played-a-role-in-helping-ohio-state-land-rex-kern-one-of-the-cornerstones-of-ohio-states-1967?amp |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=Eleven Warriors |language=en}} Despite back surgery in June, Kern recovered in time to be named first string quarterback for the varsity football team ahead of senior Bill Long, who had quarterbacked the Buckeyes in 1967.

Kern was the leader of the Buckeyes' Super Sophomores, and guided the Buckeyes to an undefeated season and a consensus national championship in 1968.{{Cite web |title=1968 Ohio State Buckeyes Schedule and Results |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/ohio-state/1968-schedule.html |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2016-07-17 |title=100 Teams in 100 Days: The Super Sophomores Lead the Way For Ohio State's Fifth National Championship in 1968 |url=https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2016/07/72209/100-teams-in-100-days-the-super-sophomores-lead-the-way-for-ohio-states-fifth-national |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=Eleven Warriors |language=en}} The Super Sophomores finished their three-year varsity careers with a record {{nowrap|of 27–2.}}{{Cite web |title=Ohio State Buckeyes College Football History, Stats, Records |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/ohio-state/index.html |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}} Kern was a fine passer and a dangerous runner. As a quarterback, from 1968–70, he passed for 2,303 yards with a 52.1 completion percentage, 17 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. In the 1968, 1969, and 1970 seasons, it has been reported that he rushed for 499,{{Cite web |title=1968 Big Ten Conference Rushing Stats |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/conferences/big-ten/1968-rushing.html |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}} 583,{{Cite web |title=1969 Big Ten Conference Rushing Stats |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/conferences/big-ten/1969-rushing.html |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}} and 468{{Cite web |title=1970 Big Ten Conference Rushing Stats |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/conferences/big-ten/1970-rushing.html |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}} yards respectively.{{Cite web |title=Rex Kern College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/rex-kern-1.html |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}} He rushed for 24 touchdowns in three years.

It has also been stated that he ran for 583, 524, and 597 yards respectively from 1968-70{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}—high numbers for a Big Ten quarterback.

The 1968 team shut out top-ranked Purdue on October 12{{Cite web |title=Purdue at Ohio State Box Score, October 12, 1968 |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/boxscores/1968-10-12-ohio-state.html |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}} and went on to an undefeated season, a Big Ten championship,{{Cite web |title=1968 Big Ten Conference Year Summary |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/conferences/big-ten/1968.html |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}} and a berth in the Rose Bowl. Kern was named Most Outstanding Player in the bowl as No. 1 ranked Ohio State defeated O. J. Simpson and the No. 2 ranked USC Trojans, {{nowrap|27–16,}} and were consensus national champions.{{Cite web |title=Rose Bowl - Ohio State at USC Box Score, January 1, 1969 |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/boxscores/1969-01-01-southern-california.html |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Rose Bowl Flashback 6-Pack: 1969 – Ohio State Buckeyes |url=https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/news/2009/12/29/rose-bowl-flashback-6-pack-1969 |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=Ohio State |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=College football championship history {{!}} NCAA.com |url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/college-football-national-championship-history |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=www.ncaa.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Rex Kern (1978) - Hall of Fame Inductees |url=https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/honors/hall-of-fame-inductees/rex-kern/239 |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=Ohio State |language=en}}

In 1969, the Buckeyes were expected to repeat as national champions. Kern directed a high-scoring (averaging 46 points per game) junior-dominated Buckeye offense that cruised through its first eight games. But Kern and the 8–0 Buckeyes were devastated by an upset {{nowrap|24–12 loss}} at Michigan on the last day of the season, a game in which Kern threw four interceptions and was replaced.{{Cite web |title=1969 Ohio State Buckeyes Schedule and Results |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/ohio-state/1969-schedule.html |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Ohio State at Michigan Box Score, November 22, 1969 |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/boxscores/1969-11-22-michigan.html |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Sang |first=Orion |date=November 25, 2019 |title=Why Michigan's greatest upset over Buckeyes shows history can repeat: OSU 'ain't (bleep)' |url=https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2019/11/25/michigan-football-ohio-state-1969/4275143002/ |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=Detroit Free Press |language=en-US}} Despite the loss, Ohio State finished as Big Ten co-champions with Michigan{{Cite web |title=1969 Big Ten Conference Year Summary |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/conferences/big-ten/1969.html |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}} and Kern was third in balloting for the 1969 Heisman Trophy.{{Cite web |title=1969 Heisman Trophy Voting |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/awards/heisman-1969.html |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}} He was also named a first-team All-American. Kern was named an All-American as running back, because there were so many great college quarterbacks that year.{{Cite web |title=Rex Kern (1970) - Hall of Fame |url=https://footballfoundation.org/hof_scholars.aspx?hof=745 |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=National Football Foundation |language=en}} Ohio State did not play in a bowl game, because prior to the 1975 season, the Big Ten and Pac-8 conferences allowed just one bowl team each, to the Rose Bowl.

The super sophomores rebounded as seniors in 1970 to win the Big Ten title outright,{{Cite web |title=1970 Big Ten Conference Year Summary |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/conferences/big-ten/1970.html |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}} gaining revenge against Michigan with a 20–9 victory one year later.{{Cite web |title=1970 Ohio State Buckeyes Schedule and Results |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/ohio-state/1970-schedule.html |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}} The Buckeyes finished the regular season undefeated {{nowrap|at 9–0,}} earning another trip to Pasadena. However, the No. 2 ranked Buckeyes were upset by the {{nowrap|#12 Stanford Indians,}} 27–17, led by quarterback Jim Plunkett, the Heisman Trophy winner.{{Cite web |last=Huston 7.27.16 |first=Chris |title=Video: Plunkett leads Stanford over Ohio State in 1971 Rose Bowl |url=https://www.heisman.com/articles/video-plunkett-leads-stanford-over-ohio-state-in-1971-rose-bowl/ |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=Heisman |language=en-US}} Kern, elected team captain in 1970,{{Cite web |title=Rex Kern – Ohio State Buckeyes |url=https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/news/2007/6/28/rex-kern |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=Ohio State |language=en}} finished fifth on the 1970 Heisman ballot.{{Cite web |title=1970 Heisman Trophy Voting |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/awards/heisman-1970.html |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}

Kern was elected to the Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame in 1978, was selected to the Ohio State Football All-Century Team in 2000, and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2007. In 1991, Kern was named a member of the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.{{Cite web |title=Rex Kern (1991) - Rose Bowl Hall of Fame |url=https://rosebowlgame.com/honors/rose-bowl-hall-of-fame/rex-kern/10 |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=Tournament of Roses - Rose Bowl Game |language=en}}

Kern co-wrote a book, with Lee Caryer, about his early life in Ohio and Ohio State experience, The Road to the Horseshoe and Beyond: How a Small-Town Athlete Benefited from Ohio State to Build a Life.

Professional career

Kern was selected in the tenth round of the 1971 NFL draft (260th overall){{Cite web |title=1971 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1971/draft.htm |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} by the defending NFL champion Baltimore Colts.{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl Winners by Year - ESPN |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/superbowl/history/winners |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=ESPN.com}} Kern played in all fourteen games in his rookie season, supplanting Jim Duncan as starting cornerback, and starting four games.[https://www.nytimes.com/1972/01/30/archives/colts-get-saints-shinners-for-duncan-draft-choice.html "Colts Get Saints’ Shinners For Duncan, Draft Choice," United Press International (UPI), Saturday, January 29, 1972.] Retrieved October 28, 2020{{Cite web |title=1971 Baltimore Colts Roster & Players |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/clt/1971_roster.htm |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} He only made five starts in 1972 due to a recurrence of his back injury, and recovered to play a full season in 1973, starting eight games with two interceptions.{{Cite web |last=Klingaman |first=Mike |date=2017-11-03 |title=Catching up with … former Colts cornerback Rex Kern |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2017/11/03/catching-up-with-former-colts-cornerback-rex-kern/ |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=Baltimore Sun |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Rex Kern Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/K/KernRe20.htm |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}

Kern was the Colts' National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) representative during the union's strike prior to the {{nfly|1974}} season. After the strike ended, he was waived when Baltimore general manager Joe Thomas acted on his threat to cut players who had walked out. Thomas once called Kern during the strike at 1:30 a.m., and told Kern, "'Rex, I want to tell you one thing: If there is anyone in camp who is not on strike, and whose ability is even half as good as the rest of you, I’ll cut [the strikers],’” Kern played eight games with the Buffalo Bills that season before ending his career as an active player due to chronic back problems. He played against the Colts that year in a Bills victory; and, starting at free safety, he had 13 tackles and a fumble recovery in a playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers (playing with a dislocated finger).{{Cite web |title=Divisional Round - Buffalo Bills at Pittsburgh Steelers - December 22nd, 1974 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197412220pit.htm |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}

Personal

Kern earned three degrees from Ohio State, a baccalaureate, a master's, and a Ph.D. in health, physical education and recreation.{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Todd |date=November 25, 2021 |title=Buckeye great Rex Kern is, in a word, grateful {{!}} Ohio State Alumni Magazine |url=https://alumnimagazine.osu.edu/story/buckeye-great-rex-kern-word-grateful#:~:text=The%20legendary%20quarterback%20offers%20stories,on%20a%20battle-scarred%20keepsake. |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=alumnimagazine.osu.edu |language=en}} Kern received the National Football Foundation’s Scholar-Athlete Award, was an All Big 10 Academic Team honoree in 1970, and received an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship in 1971.{{Cite web |last=David Campbell |first=cleveland com |date=2007-05-09 |title=OSU's Kern, Akron native Brown make College Football Hall |url=https://www.cleveland.com/sports/2007/05/osus_kern_akron_native_brown_m.html |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=cleveland |language=en}} He credited his success to his education, and his education to Woody Hayes, with whom he had a lifelong friendship. In 2001, he created the Anne and Woody Hayes Endowment for the prevention of child abuse to Columbus Children's Hospital.

He was president of a business selling Nautilus equipment for over 40 years.