Mike Kern will turn 49 in April. Born in Holmesburg, he has lived in Northeast Philly all his life, and now lives in Torresdale. Went to Lincoln High School, then Temple University. Came to the DN almost right out of college, started as part-time clerk, graduated to full-time clerk, promoted to sports writer on Feb. 1, 1982, when the Bulletin folded and the DN started covering suburban high school sports. That was my beat for five-six years. I began covering the colleges at that point. In 1991 I also took over the golf beat. Have been the national college football writer since 1993. Have won numerous national writing awards for golf and basketball, for stories on Tiger Woods and John Chaney, mostly. Was the Pa. Sports Writer of the Year in 2003. Became a member of Lincoln's Wall of Honor that same year. Was president of the Phila. Sports Writers Association for two years. Married for 24 years, he has a daughter, 23, and son, 21, both seniors at Temple.