ESPN broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit was visibly emotional after watching his alma mater, the Ohio State Buckeyes, win the College Football Playoff National Championship game, and now the reason is known.
Herbstreit made an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” where he not only talked about the medical complications his son, Buckeyes tight end Zak Herbstreit, went through, but also revealed that his wife, Ally, has been diagnosed with cancer of breast. .
“It was almost like a perfect storm for me,” Herbstreit told McAfee and his team about his emotions during the postgame show as Ohio State celebrated the victory. “My son had heart failure two years ago and they were talking about heart replacement for a while. He had to medically retire, and I think I have the gratitude because Ryan Day embraced Zak and kept him involved.
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ABC football analyst Kirk Herbstreit watches before the college football 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/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“…Ally, my wife, faced some things. It’s been a tough year for me behind the scenes. My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, you know, Ben (the family dog) dies. It was just a lot of emotion , and when you do what we do, you endure. You do your job.
“I think what happened, when they won, I was very happy for Ryan Day and those players, what they faced and everything they went through. It was almost like a relief, and it just brought out the best in me.”
OHIO STATE FOOTBALL ALUM KIRK HERBSTREIT CRASHES DURING BROADCAST AFTER BUCKEYES WIN NATIONAL TITLE
The Herbstreits met during their time together at Ohio State, where Kirk was a four-year letterman at quarterback and Ally was a cheerleader. They had four children together after marrying, including Zak, who remained with the Buckeyes despite having to medically retire due to his heart failure.
After announcing the Buckeyes’ 34-23 victory 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 didn’t mention what he said to McAfee, but he did talk about the resilience of this Buckeyes group this season.
ESPN commentator Kirk Herbstreit is on the field before the Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Ohio State Buckeyes on Dec. 31, 2022, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium from Atlanta. (Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“Oh, don’t start with me, man,” Herbstreit, who grew up about an hour from Ohio State in Centerville, told Van Pelt during the postgame show. “I’m kind of excited. I’m just excited for these guys.
“When I call these games, I’m incredibly objective. You know, I love all these 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 removing a tissue from the camera to wipe away tears as Fowler continued speaking.
Kirk Herbstreit watches from the sideline before the “Thursday Night Football” game on Amazon Prime at FedEx Field on October 5, 2023 in Landover, Maryland. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
As Herbstreit mentioned, it’s been a tough year for him personally, but he’s endured the college and NFL seasons as he also works alongside Al Michaels during Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football.”
