Brett Alan Kern (born February 17, 1986) is an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

punter for the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL). He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

Toledo Toledo most commonly refers to: * Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain * Province of Toledo, Spain * Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States Toledo may also refer to: Places Belize * Toledo District * Toledo Settlement Bolivia * Toledo, Orur ...

and was signed by the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...

as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

in 2008. After being waived by the Broncos after less than two full seasons, Kern was then acquired by the Titans and became a three-time

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

selection and a two-time All-Pro with the team.

High school career

Kern is a 2004 graduate of Grand Island Senior High School, where he played on the

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

team. He was named All-New York State as a senior and was a member of the schools Section VI championship. Following graduation from high school, Kern represented New York State in the New York-New Jersey Governor's Bowl played at the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

. He also played basketball and was a long jumper and high hurdler on the track team.

College career

Kern played

at the university of

for head coach Tom Amstutz.

2004 season

As a freshman in 2004, Kern was immediately inserted into the role of punter for the Rockets. In his collegiate debut, he had eight punts for 344 net yards (43.0 average) against

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

. In the next game against

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

, he had a season-high nine punts for a season-high 357 net yards (39.7 average). On October 16, against

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, he had two punts for 101 net yards for a season-high 50.5 average. In the next game against Central Michigan, he recorded his first collegiate pass, a successful 46-yard throw. On the season, he had 44 punts for 1,788 net yards for a 40.6 average.

2005 season

Kern continued to contribute in his second season as the Rockets' punter. On September 1, in the season opener against

Western Illinois Forgottonia (), also spelled Forgotonia, is the name given to a 16-County (United States), county region in Western Illinois in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This geographic region forms the distinctive western bulge of Illinois (area west of ...

, he had three punts for 99 net yards for a 33.0 average. On September 27, against Fresno State, he had five punts for a season-high 206 net yards for a 41.2 average. On October 15, against

Ball State Ball State University (Ball State, State or BSU) is a public research university in Muncie, Indiana. It has two satellite facilities in Fishers and Indianapolis. On July 25, 1917, the Ball brothers, industrialists and founders of the Ball C ...

, he had a successful passing attempt for 34 yards. On October 22 against Buffalo, he had two punts for 91 net yards for a season-high 45.5 average. Overall, in the 2005 season, he had 33 punts for 1,305 yards for a 39.5 average.

2006 season

Kern's punting career continued into his junior season in 2006. On August 31, against

Iowa State Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...

, he had a single punt for 46 yards in the season opener. On September 15, against

, he had a season-high 12 punts for a season-high 484 net yards for a 40.3 average. On October 7, against Central Michigan, he completed a 25-yard pass. Overall, in the 2006 season, he had 60 punts for 2,502 net yards for a 41.7 average.

2007 season

Kern's final season with the Rockets was in 2007. On September 1, against

Purdue Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...

, he had eight punts for 394 net yards for a 49.3 average. On September 15, against

, he had a season-high 10 punts for a season-high 420 net yards for a 42.00 average. On September 29, 2007, against Western Michigan, he had six punts for 323 net yards for a season-high 53.8 average. On October 27, against Northern Illinois, he had a 50-yard rush in the game. The MAC Report Online named Kern the Mid-American Conference's ‘’Special Teams Player of the Year’’ in 2007. Kern was also a finalist for the

Ray Guy Award The Ray Guy Award is presented annually to college football's most outstanding punter as adjudged by the Augusta Sports Council. The award is named after punter Ray Guy, an All-American for Southern Mississippi and an All-Pro in the National Foo ...

in 2007. That year, he averaged 46.5 yards per punt, second in the nation. Overall, in his final season, he had 52 total punts for 2,399 yards for a 46.1 average.

College statistics

Professional career

Denver Broncos (2008–2009)

In 2008, Kern won the starting punter job for the Broncos, winning the job over competitor Sam Paulescu. During his rookie season with the Broncos, Kern attempted 46 punts for an average of 46.7. He made his NFL debut the season opener against the

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...

, he had two punts for 80 net yards for a 40.0 average. Kern's longest punt of the year was 64 yards against the

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...

in Week 2. On October 5, against the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...

, he had five punts for a season-high 248 net yards for a 49.6 average. Kern gave away one touchdown that year against the Oakland Raiders in Week 12 when Johnnie Lee Higgins took the punt back 89 yards for the score. Brett Kern

Kern remained as the Broncos' punter in his second professional season. In the season opener against the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...

, he had a season-high eight punts for a season-high 340 net yards for a 42.5 average. In the next game against the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...

, Kern had two punts for 109 net yards for a season-high 54.5 average. He finished the 2009 season with 64 punts for 2,910 net yards for a 45.47 average. Despite having the third highest yards per punt average in NFL history, Kern was waived by the Broncos on October 26, 2009.

Tennessee Titans (2009–2022)

2009–2016: Early career in Tennessee

Kern was claimed off waivers by the Tennessee Titans, replacing

Reggie Hodges Reginald Aaron "Reggie" Hodges (born January 26, 1982) is a former American football punter. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ball State. Hodges has been a member of t ...

. When time Kern was released from the Broncos and claimed by the Titans, the Broncos wer
6–0
while the Titans were 0–6. A subsequent Titans winning streak and Broncos losing streak led to a situation where teams with Kern on the roster had compiled a record of 11–0 to begin the season, despite the two teams being a collective 12–10 overall in that period. On November 1, Kern made his Titans debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He had four punts for 193 net yards for a 48.25 average. Overall, in the 2009 season, he totaled 64 punts for 2,910 yards for a 45.47 average. Kern remained as the Titans' punter in the 2010 season. During the season opener against the

, he had four punts for 200 net yards for a season-high 50.0 average. During Week 16 against the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...

, Kern had a season-high eight punts for a season-high 352 net yards for a 44.0 average. Overall, in the 2010 season, he had 77 punts for 3,302 net yards for a 42.88 average. On February 24, Kern signed a four-year, $5.2 million contract extension with the Titans with $2.1 million guaranteed. During the season opener, Kern had seven punts for 291 net yards for a 41.57 average against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Two weeks later against the

, he had a 21-yard rush. During Week 8 against the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

, Kern had a season-high eight punts for a season-high 330 net yards for a 41.25 average. On December 4, against the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...

, he had five punts for 239 net yards for a season-high 47.8 average. Kern finished the 2011 season with 86 punts for 3,747 net yards for a 43.57 average. During the season opener, against the

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...

, Kern had four punts for 209 net yards for a 52.25 average. During Week 14 against the

, he had three punts for 165 net yards for a season-high 55.0 average. In the next game against the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

, Kern had a season-high 10 punts for a season-high 391 net yards for a 39.1 average. Overall, in the 2012 season, he had 81 punts for 3,855 yards for a 47.59 average. During the season-opener against the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

, Kern had five punts for 208 net yards for a 41.6 average. In the next game against the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...

, he had a season-high eight punts for 382 net yards for a 47.75 average. On December 8, against the

, Kern had four punts for 201 net yards for a season-high 50.25 average. Overall, in the 2013 season, he had 78 punts for 3,386 net yards for a 43.41 average. In the season opener against the

, Kern had six punts for 304 net yards for a 50.67 average. During Week 10 against the

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...

, Kern had a season-high eight punts for a season-high 414 net yards for a 51.75 average. In the regular-season finale against the

, he had seven punts for 383 net yards for a season-high 54.71 average. In addition, he had a career-long 79-yard punt in the game. Kern finished the 2014 season with 88 punts for 4,118 net yards for a 46.80 average. On March 8, 2015, Kern signed a five-year $15 million contract extension with the Titans. During the season opener against the

, Kern had four punts for 189 net yards for a 47.25 average. During Week 15 against the

, he had five punts for 272 net yards for a season-high 54.4 average. In the next game against the

, Kern had a season-high nine punts for a season-high 427 net yards for a 47.44 average. Overall, in the 2015 season, he recorded 88 punts for 4,175 net yards for a 47.44 average. In the season-opener against the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...

, Kern had five punts for 231 net yards for a 46.2 average. Two weeks later against the

, he had six punts for 311 net yards for a season-high 51.83 average. During Week 16 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Kern had seven punts for a season-high 313 net yards for a 44.71 average. In the 2016 season, he finished with 77 punts for 3,402 net yards for a 44.18 average.

2017–2019: All–Pro and Pro Bowl seasons

During the season-opener against the

, Kern had four punts for 188 net yards for a 47 average. Two weeks later against the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...

, he had six punts for 341 net yards for a season-high 56.83 average. During Week 5 against the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...

, Kern had a career-high 10 punts for a franchise-record 549 net yards and a 54.9 average. On December 19, 2017, Kern was named to his first Pro Bowl. He finished the 2017 season with 75 punts for 3,728 net yards for a franchise-record 49.71 average. Kern was named second-team All-Pro. The Titans finished the 2017 season with a 9–7 record and qualified for the playoffs as the #5 seed. In the Wild Card Round against the

, Kern made his playoff debut. In the narrow 22–21 road victory, he had three punts for 131 net yards for a 43.7 average. In the Divisional Round against the

, Kern had seven punts for 316 net yards for a 45.14 average. On December 18, 2018, Kern was named to his second

. Kern finished the season punting 74 times with 39 being inside the 20. Brett Kern

On March 7, 2019, Kern signed a four-year, $12.55 million contract extension with the Titans. On December 17, 2019, Kern was selected to his third consecutive

. He led the league in punts placed inside the 20-yard line with 37 and was named First-team All-Pro. The Titans finished the 2019 season with a 9–7 record and qualified for the playoffs as the #6 seed. In the Wild Card Round against the

, Kern had six punts for 275 net yards for a 45.8 average. In the Divisional Round against the

, he had six punts for 315 net yards for a 52.5 average. In the AFC Championship Game against the

, Kern punted thrice for 139 net yards for a 46.3 average and threw a 28-yard completion to safety

Amani Hooker Amani Corvelle Hooker (born June 14, 1998) is an American football strong safety for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa. Early years Hooker attended Park Center Senior High School in B ...

on a trick play during the fourth quarter.

2020–2022

On November 7, 2020, Kern was placed on injured reserve after suffering a wrist injury in Week 8 against the

. He was activated on November 28, 2020. Kern was placed on the reserve/

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

list by the Titans on December 29, 2020, and activated on January 2, 2021. The Titans finished the 2020 season atop the

AFC South The American Football Conference – Southern Division or AFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created before the 2002 NFL season, 2002 s ...

with an 11–5 record and qualified for the playoffs. In the Wild Card Round against the

, Kern had five punts for 228 net yards for a 45.6 average. On October 12, 2021, Kern was placed on the reserve/

list by the Titans. He had missed the two previous games with a groin injury. Kern was activated on October 22, 2021. The Titans finished the 2021 season atop the

with a 12–5 record and qualified for the playoffs as the #1 seed, earning a first-round bye. In the Divisional Round against the

, he had four punts for 166 net yards for a 41.5 average. Kern was released by the Titans on August 29, 2022, after undrafted rookie Ryan Stonehouse from

Colorado State Colorado State University (Colorado State or CSU) is a public land-grant research university in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is the flagship university of the Colorado State University System. Colorado State University is classified among "R1: ...

won the starting job.

Philadelphia Eagles

On December 13, 2022, Kern signed with the

practice squad following an injury to their starting punter

Arryn Siposs Arryn Siposs ( ; born 25 November 1992) is an Australian professional American football punter for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the St Kild ...

during a Week 14 game against the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

NFL career statistics

Records and achievements

Titans franchise records

* Most Punt Yards (career): 43,623 * Most Punt Yards (season): 4,175 (2015) * Most Punt Yards (game): 549 (October 8, 2017, against the Miami Dolphins) * Most Yards / Punt (career): 46.0 * Most Yards / Punt (season): 49.7 (2017) * Most Yards / Punt (game): 56.8 (September 24, 2017, against the Seattle Seahawks) * Most Yards / Punt (playoff career): 46.8

Personal life

Kern is the son of

Cal Kern Cal Kern is the president and owner of the Niagara Power, an amateur baseball team and the New York State Director of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He is a retired professional soccer goalkeeper and the father of NFL punter Brett Kern. ...

, owner of the amateur

Niagara Power History The Niagara Power is a collegiate summer baseball franchise which currently competes in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, a league designed to give college-eligible players an opportunity to compete while furthering their devel ...

baseball team. Kern is married to Tiffany Kern and the couple has three kids, Bryce Jeremiah, Anelle Naomi, and Quinn Eliana. Kern is a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

. Kern is an avid golfer that sports a +1 handicap. He picked the game up late in his high school years and caddied for three summers at Inverness Golf Club while in college. The course is located in Toledo, Ohio, and has hosted PGA and NCAA Championships. In 2011, Kern competed in The Vinny, a local golf fundraising tournament hosted by singers Vince Gill and Amy Grant, and finished fourth in the event.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kern, Brett 1986 births Living people American Conference Pro Bowl players American football punters Denver Broncos players People from Grand Island, New York Philadelphia Eagles players Players of American football from New York (state) Sportspeople from Erie County, New York Tennessee Titans players Toledo Rockets football players