Rex Kern

Rex Kern
	Kern in 1971, with theColts
No. 44, 45
Position:	Defensive back(NFL); Quarterback(college)
Personal information
Born:	May 28, 1949(age 75); Lancaster, Ohio,U.S.
Height:	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:	190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school:	Lancaster (OH)
College:	Ohio State
NFL draft:	1971/ Round: 10 / Pick: 260
Career history
	Baltimore Colts(1971–1973); Buffalo Bills(1974);
Career highlights and awards
	2×National champion(1968,1970); First-teamAll-American(1969); 3× Second-teamAll-Big Ten(1968,1969,1970);
	Player stats atPFR
	College Football Hall of Fame

Rex William Kern(born May 28, 1949) is an American former professionalfootballplayer. He played professional football in theNational Football League(NFL) atdefensive backfor theBaltimore ColtsandBuffalo Bills.In college, Kern was thequarterbackfor theOhio State Buckeyesfrom1968to1970;the Buckeyes went undefeated in 1968 and werenational champions.Kern was inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Famein2007.

Early years

Born and raised inLancaster, Ohio,and the son of abarber,Kern was a star three-sport athlete forLancaster High Schooland graduated in 1967. Inbaseball,he was selected by theKansas City Athletics,and was offeredbasketball scholarshipstoUCLA,North Carolina,andOhio University.However Kern had long sought to play basketball forFred TaylorofOhio Stateand had fostered a relationship with Taylor that led to a scholarship offer.

During the recruiting process, he was also recruited byWoody Hayesand committed to Ohio State to play both sports.

College career

At Ohio State, Kern quarterbacked the freshman team in 1967, which included 11 high schoolAll-Americans,but suffered a back injury playing freshman basketball. 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 in1968.The Super Sophomores finished their three-year varsity careers with a recordof 27–2.Kern was a fine passer and a dangerous runner. In the 1968, 1969, and 1970 seasons, he ran for 583, 524, and 597 yards respectively—high numbers for a Big Ten quarterback.

The 1968 team shut out top-rankedPurdueon October 12 and went on to an undefeated season, aBig Tenchampionship, and a berth in theRose Bowl.Kern was named Most Outstanding Player in the bowl as Ohio State defeatedO. J. Simpsonand theUSC Trojans,27–16,and were consensus national champions.

In1969,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 Buckeyes were devastated by a24–12 lossatMichigan,a game in which Kern threw fourinterceptions.Despite the loss, Ohio State finished as Big Ten co-champions with Michigan and Kern was third in balloting for the 1969Heisman Trophy.He was also named a first-teamAll-American.Ohio State did not play in a bowl game, because prior to the1975season, the Big Ten and Pac-8 conferences allowed just one bowl team each, to the Rose Bowl.

The super sophomores rebounded as seniors in1970to win the Big Ten title outright, gaining revenge againstMichigan.The Buckeyes finished the regular season undefeatedat 9–0,earning another trip to Pasadena. However, they were upset by the#12Stanford Indians,led by quarterbackJim Plunkett,theHeisman Trophywinner. Kern, ateam captain,finished fifth on the1970 Heisman ballot.

Kern was elected to theOhio State Varsity O Hall of Famein 1978, was selected to theOhio State Football All-Century Teamin 2000, and theCollege Football Hall of Famein 2007.

Professional career

Kern was selected in thetenth roundof the1971 NFL draftby thedefending NFL champion Baltimore Coltsand played in all fourteen games in hisrookie season,supplantingJim Duncanas startingcornerback.^[1]He only made five starts in1972due to a recurrence of his back injury, and recovered to play a full season in1973,with two interceptions.

Kern was theColts'National Football League Players Association (NFLPA)representative during theunion's strikeprior to the1974season. After the strike ended, he was waived when Baltimore general managerJoe Thomasacted on his threat to cut players who had walked out. Kern played eight games with theBuffalo Billsthat season before ending his career as an active player due to chronic back problems.^[2]

Personal

Kern earned three degrees from Ohio State, abaccalaureate,amaster's,and aPh.D.in education. 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 ofchild abuseto Columbus Children's Hospital.

References

^"Colts Get Saints’ Shinners For Duncan, Draft Choice,"United Press International(UPI), Saturday, January 29, 1972.Retrieved October 28, 2020
^Klingaman, Mike. "Catching up with...former Colts cornerback Rex Kern,"The Baltimore Sun,Friday, November 3, 2017.Retrieved November 3, 2017

External links

Career statistics and player information fromNFL.com·Pro Football Reference

[1] "Colts Get Saints’ Shinners For Duncan, Draft Choice,"United Press International(UPI), Saturday, January 29, 1972.Retrieved October 28, 2020

[2] Klingaman, Mike. "Catching up with...former Colts cornerback Rex Kern,"The Baltimore Sun,Friday, November 3, 2017.Retrieved November 3, 2017

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