Rex Kern Rex William Kern ( born May 28 , 1949 in Lancaster , Ohio ) is a former American football player . He played quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 1968 to 1970 , and played professional football in the National Football League at defensive back for the Baltimore Colts and Buffalo Bills . Kern was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2007 . College career . Kern was the leader of the so - called Super Sophomores , guiding the Buckeyes to an undefeated season and a consensus national championship in 1968 . Kern and the other Super Sophomores finished their college careers with a record of 27 - 2 . Kern was a fine passer and a dangerous runner . In the 1968 , 1969 and 1970 seasons , Kern ran for 583 , 524 , and 597 yards respectively — high numbers for a Big Ten quarterback . The son of a barber , Kern was a star three - sport athlete for Lancaster High School , graduating in 1967 . He was drafted by the Kansas City Athletics , and was offered basketball scholarship s 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 Woody Hayes and committed to Ohio State to play both sports . Kern quarterbacked the 1967 freshman team , which included 11 high school All - American s , 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 . The 1968 team , nicknamed the " Super Sophomores , " shut out the top - ranked Purdue Boilermakers on October 12 and went on to an undefeated season , a Big Ten championship , and a berth in the 1969 Rose Bowl . Kern was named Most Outstanding Player in the bowl as Ohio State defeated O . J . Simpson and the USC Trojans , 27 - 16 , and were named consensus national champions . 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 Buckeyes were devastated by a 24 - 12 loss at Michigan , a game in which Kern threw four interception s . Despite the loss , Ohio State finished as Big Ten co - champions with Michigan and Kern was third in balloting for the 1969 Heisman Trophy . He was also named a first - team All - American . The super sophomores , now seniors , rebounded in 1970 to again win the Big Ten , gaining revenge against Michigan . The Buckeyes finished the 1970 season undefeated , earning them their second trip to the Rose Bowl in 3 years . However , they lost to the Stanford Indians , who were led by Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett . Kern , captain of the 1970 team , finished fifth on the 1970 Heisman ballot . 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 . Professional career . Kern was drafted in the 10th Round of the 1971 NFL Draft by the NFL champion Baltimore Colts . Playing cornerback and safety , he participated in all fourteen games of his rookie season of 1971 , but only five in 1972 after a recurrence of his back injury . He recovered to play a full season in 1973 , making two interceptions , but was traded to Buffalo , where he played 8 games in 1974 before retiring for medical reasons . Personal . Kern earned three degrees from Ohio State , a baccalaureate , a master ' s , and a Doctor of Philosophy 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 of child abuse to Columbus Children ' s Hospital . References . Jim Tressel and Jeff Snook , " What It Means To Be A Buckeye " , " Rex Kern 1968 - 70 " , Triumph Books 2003 , ISBN 1 - 57243 - 602 - 6