Kirk Herbstreit spent Thursday evening in Orlando, at a Florida Citrus Sports event, talking college football with On3’s Andy Staples. The event was sold out, marking Herbstreit’s return to Central Florida ahead of another busy college football season. But the most memorable part of the evening happened after Herbstreit arrived.

A familiar face wanted to see him. The Ohio State alum offered to arrange a ride, thinking that would be the sensible thing to do. Instead, his long-time former colleague and mentor decided he could handle the trip himself. That was the legendary Lee Corso. Herbstreit shared the story on X, posting a picture with Corso on August 13, calling him the “Sunshine Scooter.”

“Coach wanted to come say hello when I landed,” Herbstreit wrote on X. “‘I said, ‘Of course, Coach, I would love to see ya—can I get ya a ride over?'” He said, ‘Forget about it—I’m driving over.’ I said, ‘Coach, cmon man, no way you’re 91; you’re not drivin over.'” Needless to say, I lost that battle.”

The relationship between Corso and Herbstreit goes back nearly three decades, long before Herbstreit became one of ESPN’s most recognizable college football analysts. Corso joined College GameDay when the show began in 1987, while Herbstreit joined the program in 1996. He has previously described Corso as a mentor and a father figure.

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Corso’s headgear picks became the signature of the show. For years, millions of viewers waited for him to put on a mascot head and make his prediction for the day’s biggest game. The catchphrase, “Not so fast, my friend,” became almost as recognizable as the man himself. ESPN credited Corso with helping drive the growth of College GameDay and college football’s television culture when he retired last year.

The former Notre Dame head coach has always carried a sort of unwavering reverence in Herbstreit’s mind. In his book Out of the Pocket, the ESPN analyst has extensively discussed their relationship since he started appearing on GameDay. When Herbstreit auditioned for the show in 1996, Corso was the one who walked him through the whole process and helped him settle down.

There was also a serious moment that showed just how close the two had become. In May 2009, Corso suffered a significant stroke. Herbstreit later wrote about receiving the news from GameDay producer Lee Fitting. Despite the health setback, Corso continued to appear on the program for years, with ESPN colleagues adapting around him as he kept doing what he loved. That relationship is the reason Corso didn’t think twice about driving through the thunderstorm to meet Herbstreit, even as he is 91 and retired last year.

“He drove over through a thunderstorm, and we spent some time together,” Herbstreit wrote. “Was so good to see him and share a few laughs and get some advice that he can only provide. He looks and sounds amazing! Love ya LC!!”

For Herbstreit, the evening was probably a reminder of how much Corso has meant to his career. The younger analyst who once leaned on Corso before his GameDay audition has now become one of ESPN’s leading voices. Yet the relationship has never really changed.