ESPN broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit was visibly emotional after watching his alma mater, the Ohio State Buckeyes, win the race. College football A national championship playoff game, and the reason is now known.
Herbstreit appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show,” where he not only discussed his son's medical complications; Buckeyes walk on tight end Zach Herbstreit stopped by, but he also revealed that his wife, Allie, has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
“It was like a perfect storm for me,” Herbstreit told McAfee and his staff of his emotions during the postgame show as Ohio State celebrated the victory. “My son went into heart failure a couple of years ago, and they had been talking about a heart replacement for a while. He had to be medically retired, and I think the gratitude I feel for Ryan Day is for putting his arms around Zach and keeping him involved.
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ABC Football Analyst Kirk Herbstreit takes a look ahead of the College Football Playoff game between the Oregon Ducks and the Arizona State Sun Devils on November 23, 2019 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Abele/Ikon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“…My ally, my wife, I went through some things. It's been a tough year for me behind the scenes. My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, and you know (the family dog) Ben died. It was just a lot of emotions, and when I do what we do, You bear it.
“I think what happened, when they won, I was very happy with it Ryan Day And these players, from what they faced and everything they went through. “It was almost a relief, and he got the best of me.”
The Herbstreits met during their time together at Ohio State, where Kirk was a four-year letterman as a quarterback and Allie was a cheerleader. They had four sons together after marriage, including Zach, who remained with the Buckeyes despite having to medically retire after suffering heart failure.
After calling the Buckeyes' 34-23 win alongside Chris Fowler, Herbstreit was on the postgame show when Scott Van Pelt decided to start the Ohio State alum after seeing him teary-eyed.
Herbstreit wouldn't say what he told McAfee, but he did discuss the resiliency of the Buckeyes' group this season.
ESPN commentator Kirk Herbstreit is on the field before the College Football Playoff semifinal game in the Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl between the Georgia Bulldogs and Ohio State Buckeyes on Dec. 31, 2022 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (Michael Wade/Sportswire Icon via Getty Images)
“Oh, don't start with me, man,” Herbstreit, who grew up about an hour away from Ohio State in Centreville, told Van Pelt during the postgame show. “I'm a little emotional. I'm excited for these guys.
“When I call these games, I'm incredibly objective. You know, I love all the Ohio State teams, but this team, because of what they went through to get to this point, you're just happy.”
When the cameras returned to the broadcast booth, Herbstreit was seen grabbing a tissue from the camera to wipe away his tears as Fowler continued speaking.
Kirk Herbstreit looks on from the sideline before the “Thursday Night Football” game on Amazon Prime at FedEx Field on October 5, 2023 in Landover, Maryland. (Cooper Neal/Getty Images)
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As Herbstreit mentioned, it's been a tough year for him personally, but he has endured through his college and NFL seasons, where he also works alongside Al Michaels during “Thursday Night Football” on Prime Video.
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