There are 99 days that separate us from Ohio State's march to Blacksburg. To help pass the time until the Buckeyes put the Sandman to sleep I will countdown Ohio State's top 100 players according to the rubric* listed at the bottom of this article.
Rex Kern was so good he didn't have to buckle his chin strap.
NO. 99 REX KERN, QB (1968-1970)
Born: 1949 (Lancaster, Ohio)
High School: Lancaster
OHIO STATE CAREER
- The Buckeyes were 27-2 with Kern on the team.
- 1968 National Champion.
- 1970 National Champion.
- 1968 Big Ten Title.
- 1969 Big Ten Title.
- 1970 Big Ten Title.
- 1970 Defeated No. 2 USC 27-16 in the Rose Bowl.
- Defeated That Team in 1968 (50-14) and 1970 (20-9).
HONORS
- 1970 Captain.
- 1970 Academic All-Big Ten.
- 1969 All-American.
- 1969 Rose Bowl MVP.
- 1978 Inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame.
- 2000 Named to the Ohio State All-Century Team.
- 2007 Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
NFL DRAFT
Round 10 to the Baltimore Colts with the 260th pick of the 1971 draft.
Rex Kern came to Ohio State via Lancaster, Ohio. He was a key member of the "Super Sophs" of the 1968 season.
Rex Kern and Woody Hayes during the 1969 Rose Bowl.
REX KERN'S OHIO STATE CAREER PER THE OHIO STATE TEAM GUIDE:
With Rex Kern at the helm, Ohio State rolled to a 27-2 record, won the 1968 national championship, captured two Big Ten titles and played in two Rose Bowls. To win the national
championship, Kern led OSU to a 27-16 win over Southern California in the Rose Bowl. He was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player.Additionally, the Buckeyes narrowly missed out on the 1969 and ’70 wire service national championships, losing the final game in both of those years after being ranked No. 1 going into their respective season finales.
In 1969, he was named an All-American. In 1970, he was elected team captain. Kern’s statistics, as impressive as they were, tell just half the story. The fiery redhead was an emotional leader
who displayed a penchant for making big plays when most needed.He was a winner in every sense of the word. Earning three degrees from Ohio State, he played four seasons in
the NFL.He was elected to the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1978 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2007.
| CATEGORY | POINTS |
|---|---|
| HEISMAN | |
| NO. RETIRED / HONORED | |
| BIG TEN MVP | |
| TEAM MVP | |
| ALL-AMERICAN | 4 |
| CAPTAIN | 4 |
| 1ST ROUND NFL DRAFT PICK | |
| ALL-BIG TEN | 3 |
| ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN | |
| NFL DRAFT PICK | 2 |
| ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN | |
| LETTER | 1 |
| TOTAL | 14 |
For more information on other players who wore the No. 10, go here.
Sources- The Ohio State Team Guide
| CATEGORY | POINTS |
|---|---|
| HEISMAN | 8 |
| NO. RETIRED / HONORED | 8 |
| B1G MVP | 6 |
| TEAM MVP | 5 |
| ALL-AMERICAN | 4 |
| CAPTAIN | 4 |
| 1ST ROUND NFL DRAFT PICK | 4 |
| ALL-BIG TEN | 3 |
| ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN | 3 |
| NFL DRAFT PICK | 2 |
| ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN | 1 |
| LETTER | 0.25 PER YEAR |
