He played college football for the Toledo Rockets and was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008.

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

[2] He was named All-New York State as a senior and was a member of the schools Section VI championship.

Kern played college football at the university of Toledo for head coach Tom Amstutz.

On September 1, in the season opener against Western Illinois, he had three punts for 99 net yards for a 33.0 average.

[21] The MAC Report Online named Kern the Mid-American Conference's ‘’Special Teams Player of the Year’’ in 2007.

He made his NFL debut the season opener against the Oakland Raiders, recording two punts for 80 yards for a 40.0 average.

[28] Kern's longest punt of the year was 64 yards against the San Diego Chargers in Week 2.

[30] 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.

[34] Despite having the third-highest yards per punt average in NFL history,[35] Kern was waived by the Broncos on October 26, 2009.

[47] During the season opener, against the New England Patriots, Kern had four punts for 209 net yards for a 52.25 average.

[55] In the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, Kern had six punts for 304 net yards for a 50.67 average.

[60] During the season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kern had four punts for 189 net yards for a 47.25 average.

[70] During Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins, Kern had a career-high 10 punts for a franchise-record 549 net yards and a 54.9 average.

[75][76] In the Wild Card Round against the Kansas City Chiefs, Kern made his playoff debut.

[84][85] In the Wild Card Round against the New England Patriots, Kern had six punts for 275 net yards for a 45.8 average.

[87] In the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Kern punted thrice for 139 net yards for a 46.3 average and threw a 28-yard completion to safety Amani Hooker on a trick play during the fourth quarter.

[88] On November 7, 2020, Kern was placed on injured reserve after suffering a wrist injury in Week 8 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

[92] The Titans finished the 2020 season atop the AFC South with an 11–5 record and qualified for the playoffs.

[93][94] In the Wild Card Round against the Baltimore Ravens, Kern had five punts for 228 net yards for a 45.6 average.

[97] The Titans finished the 2021 season atop the AFC South with a 12–5 record and qualified for the playoffs as the #1 seed, earning a first-round bye.

[99] Kern was released by the Titans on August 29, 2022, after undrafted rookie Ryan Stonehouse from Colorado State won the starting job.

[100] On December 13, 2022, Kern signed with the Philadelphia Eagles' practice squad following an injury to their starting punter Arryn Siposs during a Week 14 game against the New York Giants.

He picked the game up late in his high school years and caddied in college for three summers at the Inverness Golf Club in Toledo, Ohio.

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.