Kirk Herbsteit, one of the longtime faces of ESPN’s College GameDay and a noted college football analyst, was mourning the passing of himself the beloved family dog Ben, a golden retriever that had spent many years with the Herbstreit family. He succumbed to old age naturally last week.
Ben is beyond a pet: he’s always around, popping up on tweets and other social media, making fans across the country love him. “He was a gentle soul and so loyal,” said people close to the Herbstreit family, who describe themselves as strong animal lovers.
In a very emotional post by Herbstreit sharing with the public through various social media, he let out a heartfelt statement talking about Ben as his once-in-a-lifetime buddy. Several pictures of how Ben was throughout his years of lifespan were attached, where the same playful dog always plays a vital part in being the companion of the family. “He accompanied us throughout many seasons of football and life,” Herbstreit captioned. “He was always there, loyal and loving, giving us everything he had.”
Ben’s death has struck a chord with fans and fellow sports commentators, who have showered an outpouring of support for Herbstreit and his family. Colleagues at ESPN and the college football community weighed in to send their condolences, but many shared their memories of meeting Ben or just reflecting on the special bond that develops between pets and their owners.
Herbstreit’s private life with Ben migrated to the gridiron and into the community. Viewers came to recognize him as an ordinary guy simply because of the fervent on-air personality he possesses and his passion for the sport. At times, Herbstreit would even provide a peek behind the curtains of his home life, and Ben became known to everyone on campus who loved college football.
While Herbstreit hasn’t even signaled any intention whatsoever to hold a formal event, he certainly thanked the fans for their outpouring of support and memories shared of Ben. “We’ll miss him every day,” he wrote. “But we’re grateful for every moment we had with him.”
As Herbstreit moves on in college football, fans will certainly remember his warm presence, whose companionship was deeply treasured by this very popular sports commentator.
