The Lantern
Under center, Kern still the one
By Brandon Castel
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif] Published: Thursday, October 27, 2005 [/FONT]
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Media Credit: Courtesy of OSU Athletics
</td> </tr> </table></td></tr></table>Rex Kern might be the best quarterback in Ohio State history. As one of the "Super Sophomores," Kern led OSU to the 1968 National Championship under coach Woody Hayes. The Buckeyes defeated USC 27-16 in the Rose Bowl. In all, Kern started for three seasons, quarterbacking OSU to a 27-2 record from 1968-70. He was an All-American in \'69 and team captain in \'70. He played three seasons with the Baltimore Colts and one with the Buffalo Bills before retiring after back surgery.
The Lantern: You were a stand-out basketball player growing up. What made you decide to play football at OSU?
Rex Kern: Yeah, actually I grew up in Lancaster watching (John) Havlicek and (Jerry) Lucas. I played football, baseball and basketball in high school and actually got drafted by the Kansas City Athletics. But getting a chance to play basketball for coach Fred Taylor was actually the reason I decided to go to Ohio State.
TL: Did you get a chance to play basketball as well as football?
RK: I played one year of basketball as a freshman and I even talked to coach Marty Karow about playing baseball, but Woody didn\'t want me missing spring football practice.
TL: What did it mean to you to not only play sports at OSU, but also to have the opportunity to get a good education?
RK: I was the first person in my family to go to college, so education was very important to me when I started looking at colleges. While most schools told me all about the athletic opportunities available to me, Fred and Woody talked about education first. Woody would always tell me that I had to go to class every day and to sit in the front row.
TL: What are you doing now with that education?
RK: After graduating I went back and got my Masters and my Ph.D. at OSU. Now I\'m a business partner for United Midwest Savings Bank in Columbus.
TL: What was it like the first time you took the field in Ohio Stadium as the starting quarterback for OSU?
RK: There are not really any words to describe coming out of the tunnel at the Horseshoe. It was so thrilling and exhilarating, almost bigger than life. But at the same time I knew if I didn\'t play well, Woody was going to beat up on us.
TL: Your teams never lost a game at home during your 3 years. How big is the advantage of having that home crowd at the \'Shoe?
RK: The best example I have of that was when I went to Baltimore my rookie year and my teammate, Norm Bulaich, had played us here when he was at TCU. He said that they came to Columbus and went to the stadium the Friday before the game, and there was no one in the stands but they were already shook up. And then Saturday when they came in and saw the stadium packed, he said they were already beat. I think we beat them 63-0 that day.
TL: Your team in 1968 played USC in the \'69 Rose Bowl for the national title. How would this year\'s team have stacked up against the current USC team if they had met in Pasadena?
RK: I feel that we would be extremely competitive. We played Texas better than anyone has or probably will this season. USC is a tremendous football team. They have so many weapons, and then of course they have Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart. But we\'ve got a linebacking core here that can\'t be equaled. And I feel our defense would control the game.
TL: In 1969 your team had a 22-game winning streak heading into Ann Arbor. Woody always said that was his best team, but you lost 24-12 to Michigan. In Columbus, you cannot be the best if you don\'t beat Michigan. In your mind, can OSU have a successful season without beating Michigan?
RK: No! Definitely not. In my mind the Big Ten title and national title go through that school up north. And if we finished 11-1, but that one loss was to them, I wouldn\'t like that one bit.
TL: What did that rivalry mean to you as a player?
RK: We saw them as a school we respected greatly - a team of great competitors. And I think hate is too strong of a word to use for how I felt about them. But if you ask me did I dislike them - yes, I disliked them very much, and I still do. Even now when I see a Michigan license plate, it makes what hair I\'ve got left stand up on the back of my neck.
TL: How does that loss to them in 1969 affect the way you feel about them?
RK: That was a terrible loss. It was the only Big Ten game I lost while I was at OSU, and more importantly it knocked us out of the title game. I felt we had the talent to be the first team to win three undisputed national titles in three years. But they played better football than us that day. It was a bitter defeat - certainly the worst of my career.
TL: Coach Woody Hayes is likely the most beloved figure in OSU history. What was it like to play for coach Hayes, and what made him so special?
RK: Woody had so much passion, and he lived it. If he believed something, he was going to live by that. He demanded more out of himself than anyone ever did. He always said that, "You may outcoach me, but you\'ll never outwork me." He believed in his players and he stood by them. He knew how to motivate and he knew how to recruit. And if you played football for Woody Hayes, you were friends for life.
TL: What did the Michigan rivalry mean to Woody and how did he approach it?
RK: It meant intensity, focus and sometimes reckless abandonment. The old man just got so tight that week it was like he thought the sky was falling. He was afraid to open up the offense because he was worried something bad would happen, and (Michigan coach) Bo (Schembechler) was the same way on the other sideline. And we, as his players, took on the complexion of Woody. We knew that school up north was in our way for anything we wanted to accomplish.
TL: What was one unique thing about coach Hayes that most people wouldn\'t know?
RK: Woody was borderline schizophrenic. One moment he\'d knock the wind out of you and berate you over inches, and the next minute he\'d have his arm around your shoulder pads asking you about classes and family. But that\'s what made him such a good coach. And he always genuinely cared.
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Media Credit: Courtesy of OSU Athletics
</td> </tr> </tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>Rex Kern might be the best quarterback in Ohio State history. As one of the "Super Sophomores," Kern led OSU to the 1968 National Championship under coach Woody Hayes. The Buckeyes defeated USC 27-16 in the Rose Bowl. In all, Kern started for three seasons, quarterbacking OSU to a 27-2 record from 1968-70. He was an All-American in '69 and team captain in '70. He played three seasons with the Baltimore Colts and one with the Buffalo Bills before retiring after back surgery.
The Lantern: You were a stand-out basketball player growing up. What made you decide to play football at OSU?
Rex Kern: Yeah, actually I grew up in Lancaster watching (John) Havlicek and (Jerry) Lucas. I played football, baseball and basketball in high school and actually got drafted by the Kansas City Athletics. But getting a chance to play basketball for coach Fred Taylor was actually the reason I decided to go to Ohio State.
TL: Did you get a chance to play basketball as well as football?
RK: I played one year of basketball as a freshman and I even talked to coach Marty Karow about playing baseball, but Woody didn't want me missing spring football practice.
TL: What did it mean to you to not only play sports at OSU, but also to have the opportunity to get a good education?
RK: I was the first person in my family to go to college, so education was very important to me when I started looking at colleges. While most schools told me all about the athletic opportunities available to me, Fred and Woody talked about education first. Woody would always tell me that I had to go to class every day and to sit in the front row.
TL: What are you doing now with that education?
RK: After graduating I went back and got my Masters and my Ph.D. at OSU. Now I'm a business partner for United Midwest Savings Bank in Columbus.
TL: What was it like the first time you took the field in Ohio Stadium as the starting quarterback for OSU?
RK: There are not really any words to describe coming out of the tunnel at the Horseshoe. It was so thrilling and exhilarating, almost bigger than life. But at the same time I knew if I didn't play well, Woody was going to beat up on us.
TL: Your teams never lost a game at home during your 3 years. How big is the advantage of having that home crowd at the 'Shoe?
RK: The best example I have of that was when I went to Baltimore my rookie year and my teammate, Norm Bulaich, had played us here when he was at TCU. He said that they came to Columbus and went to the stadium the Friday before the game, and there was no one in the stands but they were already shook up. And then Saturday when they came in and saw the stadium packed, he said they were already beat. I think we beat them 63-0 that day.
TL: Your team in 1968 played USC in the '69 Rose Bowl for the national title. How would this year's team have stacked up against the current USC team if they had met in Pasadena?
RK: I feel that we would be extremely competitive. We played Texas better than anyone has or probably will this season. USC is a tremendous football team. They have so many weapons, and then of course they have Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart. But we've got a linebacking core here that can't be equaled. And I feel our defense would control the game.
TL: In 1969 your team had a 22-game winning streak heading into Ann Arbor. Woody always said that was his best team, but you lost 24-12 to Michigan. In Columbus, you cannot be the best if you don't beat Michigan. In your mind, can OSU have a successful season without beating Michigan?
RK: No! Definitely not. In my mind the Big Ten title and national title go through that school up north. And if we finished 11-1, but that one loss was to them, I wouldn't like that one bit.
TL: What did that rivalry mean to you as a player?
RK: We saw them as a school we respected greatly - a team of great competitors. And I think hate is too strong of a word to use for how I felt about them. But if you ask me did I dislike them - yes, I disliked them very much, and I still do. Even now when I see a Michigan license plate, it makes what hair I've got left stand up on the back of my neck.
TL: How does that loss to them in 1969 affect the way you feel about them?
RK: That was a terrible loss. It was the only Big Ten game I lost while I was at OSU, and more importantly it knocked us out of the title game. I felt we had the talent to be the first team to win three undisputed national titles in three years. But they played better football than us that day. It was a bitter defeat - certainly the worst of my career.
TL: Coach Woody Hayes is likely the most beloved figure in OSU history. What was it like to play for coach Hayes, and what made him so special?
RK: Woody had so much passion, and he lived it. If he believed something, he was going to live by that. He demanded more out of himself than anyone ever did. He always said that, "You may outcoach me, but you'll never outwork me." He believed in his players and he stood by them. He knew how to motivate and he knew how to recruit. And if you played football for Woody Hayes, you were friends for life.
TL: What did the Michigan rivalry mean to Woody and how did he approach it?
RK: It meant intensity, focus and sometimes reckless abandonment. The old man just got so tight that week it was like he thought the sky was falling. He was afraid to open up the offense because he was worried something bad would happen, and (Michigan coach) Bo (Schembechler) was the same way on the other sideline. And we, as his players, took on the complexion of Woody. We knew that school up north was in our way for anything we wanted to accomplish.
TL: What was one unique thing about coach Hayes that most people wouldn't know?
RK: Woody was borderline schizophrenic. One moment he'd knock the wind out of you and berate you over inches, and the next minute he'd have his arm around your shoulder pads asking you about classes and family. But that's what made him such a good coach. And he always genuinely cared.</td></tr></tbody></table>
Under center, Kern still the one
By Brandon Castel
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif] Published: Thursday, October 27, 2005 [/FONT]
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</td> </tr> </table></td></tr></table>Rex Kern might be the best quarterback in Ohio State history. As one of the "Super Sophomores," Kern led OSU to the 1968 National Championship under coach Woody Hayes. The Buckeyes defeated USC 27-16 in the Rose Bowl. In all, Kern started for three seasons, quarterbacking OSU to a 27-2 record from 1968-70. He was an All-American in \'69 and team captain in \'70. He played three seasons with the Baltimore Colts and one with the Buffalo Bills before retiring after back surgery.
The Lantern: You were a stand-out basketball player growing up. What made you decide to play football at OSU?
Rex Kern: Yeah, actually I grew up in Lancaster watching (John) Havlicek and (Jerry) Lucas. I played football, baseball and basketball in high school and actually got drafted by the Kansas City Athletics. But getting a chance to play basketball for coach Fred Taylor was actually the reason I decided to go to Ohio State.
TL: Did you get a chance to play basketball as well as football?
RK: I played one year of basketball as a freshman and I even talked to coach Marty Karow about playing baseball, but Woody didn\'t want me missing spring football practice.
TL: What did it mean to you to not only play sports at OSU, but also to have the opportunity to get a good education?
RK: I was the first person in my family to go to college, so education was very important to me when I started looking at colleges. While most schools told me all about the athletic opportunities available to me, Fred and Woody talked about education first. Woody would always tell me that I had to go to class every day and to sit in the front row.
TL: What are you doing now with that education?
RK: After graduating I went back and got my Masters and my Ph.D. at OSU. Now I\'m a business partner for United Midwest Savings Bank in Columbus.
TL: What was it like the first time you took the field in Ohio Stadium as the starting quarterback for OSU?
RK: There are not really any words to describe coming out of the tunnel at the Horseshoe. It was so thrilling and exhilarating, almost bigger than life. But at the same time I knew if I didn\'t play well, Woody was going to beat up on us.
TL: Your teams never lost a game at home during your 3 years. How big is the advantage of having that home crowd at the \'Shoe?
RK: The best example I have of that was when I went to Baltimore my rookie year and my teammate, Norm Bulaich, had played us here when he was at TCU. He said that they came to Columbus and went to the stadium the Friday before the game, and there was no one in the stands but they were already shook up. And then Saturday when they came in and saw the stadium packed, he said they were already beat. I think we beat them 63-0 that day.
TL: Your team in 1968 played USC in the \'69 Rose Bowl for the national title. How would this year\'s team have stacked up against the current USC team if they had met in Pasadena?
RK: I feel that we would be extremely competitive. We played Texas better than anyone has or probably will this season. USC is a tremendous football team. They have so many weapons, and then of course they have Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart. But we\'ve got a linebacking core here that can\'t be equaled. And I feel our defense would control the game.
TL: In 1969 your team had a 22-game winning streak heading into Ann Arbor. Woody always said that was his best team, but you lost 24-12 to Michigan. In Columbus, you cannot be the best if you don\'t beat Michigan. In your mind, can OSU have a successful season without beating Michigan?
RK: No! Definitely not. In my mind the Big Ten title and national title go through that school up north. And if we finished 11-1, but that one loss was to them, I wouldn\'t like that one bit.
TL: What did that rivalry mean to you as a player?
RK: We saw them as a school we respected greatly - a team of great competitors. And I think hate is too strong of a word to use for how I felt about them. But if you ask me did I dislike them - yes, I disliked them very much, and I still do. Even now when I see a Michigan license plate, it makes what hair I\'ve got left stand up on the back of my neck.
TL: How does that loss to them in 1969 affect the way you feel about them?
RK: That was a terrible loss. It was the only Big Ten game I lost while I was at OSU, and more importantly it knocked us out of the title game. I felt we had the talent to be the first team to win three undisputed national titles in three years. But they played better football than us that day. It was a bitter defeat - certainly the worst of my career.
TL: Coach Woody Hayes is likely the most beloved figure in OSU history. What was it like to play for coach Hayes, and what made him so special?
RK: Woody had so much passion, and he lived it. If he believed something, he was going to live by that. He demanded more out of himself than anyone ever did. He always said that, "You may outcoach me, but you\'ll never outwork me." He believed in his players and he stood by them. He knew how to motivate and he knew how to recruit. And if you played football for Woody Hayes, you were friends for life.
TL: What did the Michigan rivalry mean to Woody and how did he approach it?
RK: It meant intensity, focus and sometimes reckless abandonment. The old man just got so tight that week it was like he thought the sky was falling. He was afraid to open up the offense because he was worried something bad would happen, and (Michigan coach) Bo (Schembechler) was the same way on the other sideline. And we, as his players, took on the complexion of Woody. We knew that school up north was in our way for anything we wanted to accomplish.
TL: What was one unique thing about coach Hayes that most people wouldn\'t know?
RK: Woody was borderline schizophrenic. One moment he\'d knock the wind out of you and berate you over inches, and the next minute he\'d have his arm around your shoulder pads asking you about classes and family. But that\'s what made him such a good coach. And he always genuinely cared.
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</td> </tr> </tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>Rex Kern might be the best quarterback in Ohio State history. As one of the "Super Sophomores," Kern led OSU to the 1968 National Championship under coach Woody Hayes. The Buckeyes defeated USC 27-16 in the Rose Bowl. In all, Kern started for three seasons, quarterbacking OSU to a 27-2 record from 1968-70. He was an All-American in '69 and team captain in '70. He played three seasons with the Baltimore Colts and one with the Buffalo Bills before retiring after back surgery.
The Lantern: You were a stand-out basketball player growing up. What made you decide to play football at OSU?
Rex Kern: Yeah, actually I grew up in Lancaster watching (John) Havlicek and (Jerry) Lucas. I played football, baseball and basketball in high school and actually got drafted by the Kansas City Athletics. But getting a chance to play basketball for coach Fred Taylor was actually the reason I decided to go to Ohio State.
TL: Did you get a chance to play basketball as well as football?
RK: I played one year of basketball as a freshman and I even talked to coach Marty Karow about playing baseball, but Woody didn't want me missing spring football practice.
TL: What did it mean to you to not only play sports at OSU, but also to have the opportunity to get a good education?
RK: I was the first person in my family to go to college, so education was very important to me when I started looking at colleges. While most schools told me all about the athletic opportunities available to me, Fred and Woody talked about education first. Woody would always tell me that I had to go to class every day and to sit in the front row.
TL: What are you doing now with that education?
RK: After graduating I went back and got my Masters and my Ph.D. at OSU. Now I'm a business partner for United Midwest Savings Bank in Columbus.
TL: What was it like the first time you took the field in Ohio Stadium as the starting quarterback for OSU?
RK: There are not really any words to describe coming out of the tunnel at the Horseshoe. It was so thrilling and exhilarating, almost bigger than life. But at the same time I knew if I didn't play well, Woody was going to beat up on us.
TL: Your teams never lost a game at home during your 3 years. How big is the advantage of having that home crowd at the 'Shoe?
RK: The best example I have of that was when I went to Baltimore my rookie year and my teammate, Norm Bulaich, had played us here when he was at TCU. He said that they came to Columbus and went to the stadium the Friday before the game, and there was no one in the stands but they were already shook up. And then Saturday when they came in and saw the stadium packed, he said they were already beat. I think we beat them 63-0 that day.
TL: Your team in 1968 played USC in the '69 Rose Bowl for the national title. How would this year's team have stacked up against the current USC team if they had met in Pasadena?
RK: I feel that we would be extremely competitive. We played Texas better than anyone has or probably will this season. USC is a tremendous football team. They have so many weapons, and then of course they have Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart. But we've got a linebacking core here that can't be equaled. And I feel our defense would control the game.
TL: In 1969 your team had a 22-game winning streak heading into Ann Arbor. Woody always said that was his best team, but you lost 24-12 to Michigan. In Columbus, you cannot be the best if you don't beat Michigan. In your mind, can OSU have a successful season without beating Michigan?
RK: No! Definitely not. In my mind the Big Ten title and national title go through that school up north. And if we finished 11-1, but that one loss was to them, I wouldn't like that one bit.
TL: What did that rivalry mean to you as a player?
RK: We saw them as a school we respected greatly - a team of great competitors. And I think hate is too strong of a word to use for how I felt about them. But if you ask me did I dislike them - yes, I disliked them very much, and I still do. Even now when I see a Michigan license plate, it makes what hair I've got left stand up on the back of my neck.
TL: How does that loss to them in 1969 affect the way you feel about them?
RK: That was a terrible loss. It was the only Big Ten game I lost while I was at OSU, and more importantly it knocked us out of the title game. I felt we had the talent to be the first team to win three undisputed national titles in three years. But they played better football than us that day. It was a bitter defeat - certainly the worst of my career.
TL: Coach Woody Hayes is likely the most beloved figure in OSU history. What was it like to play for coach Hayes, and what made him so special?
RK: Woody had so much passion, and he lived it. If he believed something, he was going to live by that. He demanded more out of himself than anyone ever did. He always said that, "You may outcoach me, but you'll never outwork me." He believed in his players and he stood by them. He knew how to motivate and he knew how to recruit. And if you played football for Woody Hayes, you were friends for life.
TL: What did the Michigan rivalry mean to Woody and how did he approach it?
RK: It meant intensity, focus and sometimes reckless abandonment. The old man just got so tight that week it was like he thought the sky was falling. He was afraid to open up the offense because he was worried something bad would happen, and (Michigan coach) Bo (Schembechler) was the same way on the other sideline. And we, as his players, took on the complexion of Woody. We knew that school up north was in our way for anything we wanted to accomplish.
TL: What was one unique thing about coach Hayes that most people wouldn't know?
RK: Woody was borderline schizophrenic. One moment he'd knock the wind out of you and berate you over inches, and the next minute he'd have his arm around your shoulder pads asking you about classes and family. But that's what made him such a good coach. And he always genuinely cared.</td></tr></tbody></table>
