As a youngster growing up in central Ohio , I knew one thing about Buckeye quarterback Rex Kern.

That was this: Rex Kern was “the man.”

That’s the best way I can describe the hold he had on the Buckeye teams of the late 60s and early 70s. Rex was the unquestioned leader on those teams, and was one of those guys who just found a way to win. Later I got to know Rex personally and came to appreciate him as the personification of what Woody Hayes preached.

Woody told us to play hard and fair on the field and aspire to excellence off it. Rex fit that bill and still does to this day.

That’s one of the reasons why I was so thrilled to see that he was voted into the College Football Hall of Fame last week. To me, it was always a sore spot that Rex wasn’t in the Hall, because he was clearly someone who belonged there.

If you ask any fan or player from Rex’s era, they’ll tell you that he was the engine that powered some great Buckeye teams, including our 1968 national champions. Rex had amazing leadership capabilities, great moxie, and exceptional athleticism.

What he didn’t have was great passing statistics. That was more of a reflection of our offense at the time, though, than Rex’s ability. Woody liked to keep the ball on the ground in those days, and I think through the years Rex was maybe overlooked because he didn’t have gaudy passing statistics.

But people in the know were well aware of Rex and his place in Ohio State history. It’s no coincidence that he was named one of our offensive co-captains when the Buckeye all-century team was selected in 2000. He deserved that spot just as he deserved to be in the College Football Hall of Fame.

I am proud to have known Rex in my life and proud that he’ll be joining me in the College Hall later this year. Congratulations, Rex.

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