Former Titans Punter Brett Kern Remembers the Good Times at His Retirement Ceremony

Jun 01, 2023 at 02:46 PM

Jim Wyatt

Senior Writer/Editor

NASHVILLE – Brett Kern strolled into his retirement ceremony on Thursday at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park, and he was immediately swarmed the same way special teamers are taught to cover punts.

The long-time Titans punter, who played 15 seasons in the NFL, including 13 in Tennessee, received congratulations from the large number of former teammates and coaches who showed up for the press conference.

When Kern made his way to the podium, he thanked everyone for being there, as well as those who supported him from afar during the course of his NFL career.

Consider his retirement speech – one he timed at 13 minutes, 48 seconds in his mirror at home – a job well done.

Just like his career.

"To have the career I was blessed to have, it was pretty special," Kern said. "Really special."

The start of punter Brett Kern’s retirement presser for @Titans. pic.twitter.com/7i85RqAgMl
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) June 1, 2023

Kern said he always felt the love from the fan base.

"Thank you to the fans," Kern said. "There are not many words that can describe my thankfulness, for the love and support through the years y'all have shown my family and I. The number of fans who have told me they waited to get a drink or buy a snack until fourth down was over means the world to me.

"Your compliments over the years honestly fueled me to be the best I could be. I didn't want to let any of you down. Thank you for letting me represent you on the field."

.@ryansuccop, Brett Kern, Beau Brinkley and @morgancox46 at Kern’s retirement presser. @Titans pic.twitter.com/YbZ5sGVMlp
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) June 1, 2023

During the course of his playing career, Kern he appeared in 223 regular season games and recorded 1,006 punts for 46,136 yards (45.9 avg.) with 396 kicks placed inside the opponents' 20-yard line. He was named to three consecutive Pro Bowls from 2017 to 2019, earned first team Associated Press All-Pro honors in 2019, and was a two-time team captain (2020 & 2021).

Kern, who also had stints with the Broncos and Eagles, concluded his Tennessee career as the franchise's leader in punts (923), gross punting average (45.9 yards), net punting average (40.8) and punts placed inside the 20 (373). Kern owns nine of the top 10 net punting seasons in franchise history and six of the team's top nine gross punting seasons. With 197 career games played with the Titans, Kern ranks third in franchise history behind Bruce Matthews (296) and Elvin Bethea (210). His total is the most for any player during the franchise's "Titans era" (since 1999).

Kern got emotional when talking about his wife, Tiffany, and the couple's three children.

"Thank you for being my support, my encourager, and my one consistent through the ups and downs over the last 15 seasons," Kern said as he looked at his wife. "We've come a long way together in this journey."

Brett Kern’s family. @Titans pic.twitter.com/fFLLrIk8yP
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) June 1, 2023

Brett Kern gets emotional when talking about his wife, Tiffany, at his retirement press conference. @Titans @ToledoFB pic.twitter.com/CkW0zXV7Mv
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) June 1, 2023

So, what's next for Kern?

"There's just a lot more to catch up on," Kern said. "(My family) has sacrificed a lot through the years, from the training camps to the road trips. … I'm just looking at more family time, a little bit more travel time. And we'll just see what's next. I am just excited for this new chapter."

So, what’s next, Brett Kern?@Titans pic.twitter.com/CrMsXznt4q
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) June 1, 2023

Retirement presser for long-time @Titans punter Brett Kern coming up at the top of the hour. pic.twitter.com/6CxPmaDdD6
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) June 1, 2023