The end of last year and the beginning of this year have indeed been difficult for the ESPN College GameDay host Kirk Herbstreit. Last year in November, he lost his furry friend, golden retriever Ben, to leukemia. That was not all. Herbstreit’s wife, Alison Butler, was diagnosed with breast cancer. While the host was recovering from the tough times, little by little, another blow came. Well, Herbstreit saw this coming. He is now healing the heartbreak of not having his mentor, Lee Corso, around after he retired in August. Finally, here comes some news that will lift up Herbstreit’s spirits after a long time. 

On September 24, ESPN PR Vice President Bill Hofheimer tweeted, “Congrats to @KirkHerbstreit who has been named the recipient of the prestigious Pat Summerall Award. Kirk will be honored during Super Bowl week in San Francisco at the Legends for Charity dinner benefiting @StJude Children’s Research Hospital.” Legends for Charity says the award is born to honor those rare voices in sports media who carry the same grace, professionalism, and presence that defined Pat Summerall. And here came a note of gratitude from Herbstreit himself.  

The ESPN GameDay host wrote, “Thanks Bill. This is really special. Truly humbled and grateful for this journey I’ve been on. In my generation watching Pat and John Madden was appointment viewing EVERY Sunday in the Fall. Often, covering my team back then, Roger Staubach and the Cowboys. I’m very appreciative to receive this honor and look forward to the dinner in SF Super Bowl week.”

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At 56, Herbstreit brings over two decades of experience in college football broadcasting. What makes his broadcasting special? Herbstreit blended his hands-on experience as an Ohio State quarterback in the ’90s with his role as an analyst. He launched his media career in Columbus radio before joining ESPN in the late 1990s, and he’s been a fixture ever since.  

In 2022, he expanded his reach into the NFL world, becoming a voice for Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime. And this broadcasting journey gifted Herbstreit with a room full of prizes. He is a five-time Sports Emmy Award winner as Best Analyst, three times as Best Studio Analyst, and two times as Best Event Analyst. With this, Herbstreit now falls under Legends for Charity’s radar.

In just two decades, they have raised a staggering $14 million for St. Jude. So, who will Herbstreit be joining among this legendary roster of past honorees? Legends for Charity has honored the brightest stars in sports media, including Tony Romo, Michael Strahan, Al Michaels, and Erin Andrews. While Herbstreit is flying high, someone tried to pull him down by digging up an old comment. 

Kirk Herbstreit’s eight-year-old prediction aged poorly

On September 23, Iowa State beat writer Jake Brend tweeted, “’Enjoy this team and this coach, in particular, while you can. He’s gone.’ Eight years ago, Kirk Herbstreit told Iowa State fans that Matt Campbell wasn’t long for Ames. Now, Campbell has the most Big 12 tenure of any coach in the league.” Yes, it’s true. Herbstreit, being one of Corso’s best students, was wrong with his predictions. 

While the ESPN College GameDay host believed that Matt Campbell ran on borrowed time, eight years later, he proved Herbstreit wrong. He now holds the longest tenure in the Big 12. But hold on, that’s not all. Here came some salt sprinkling on Herbstreit’s wrong call wounds, as Campbell signed an eight-year contract extension last month, which runs through 2033.

But amidst getting exposed and chasing new milestones, Herbstreit did not forget to perform his duties beyond the broadcasting seat. He got to keep his alma mater on the right track. No matter how his own program dragged him through mud, threatening his wife and son after the “lunatic fringe” comment, Ohio State remains Herbstreit’s first love. 

The ESPN College GameDay host thus came up with a wake-up call for Ryan Day and his boys. On his recent podcast episode with Joey Galloway, Herbstreit shared, “Ohio State, by the way, what a test they’re going to have this week at Washington. I don’t care. I don’t even know if Washington’s ranked. I don’t think they are. If you’ve ever been to Seattle to watch a college football game, you know how tough it is. And they got skill. Demond Williams is playing as well as any quarterback in the country.”   

Coming from an Ohio State alum, Kirk Herbstreit believes that Washington is a tougher test for the Buckeyes than facing Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns. No matter how far Herbstreit has climbed in the broadcasting world, his heart remains rooted in Ohio State, always guiding the Buckeyes forward.