ESPN broadcaster explains why he was in tears on the broadcast after Ohio State’s national championship win
ESPN broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit was emotional after watching his alma mater, the Ohio State Buckeyes, win the College Football Playoff National Championship game, and now it’s clear why.
Herbstreit appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show,” where he not only discussed his son, Buckeyes walk-on tight end Zak Herbstreit, passing on medical complications, but revealed that his wife, Allie, had breast cancer. .
“It was almost a perfect storm for me,” Herbstreit told McAfee and his staff about his feelings during the postgame show as Ohio State celebrated the win. “My son had a heart attack two years ago and they’ve been talking about a heart transplant for a while. He had to retire medically, and I think I’m grateful to Ryan Day for reaching out to Zach and getting 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 at Sun Devil Stadium on November 23, 2019 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“…Ally, my wife, she’s been through some things. It’s been a tough year for me behind the scenes. My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, you know (the family dog) Ben was going to die. It was a lot of emotion, and when you do it, you do what we do, you do your job. .
“I think what happened, when they won, I was very happy for Ryan Day and those players, the situation they faced and everything they went through. It was like a relief, and I got the best for me.”
Kirk Herbstreit, Ohio State football alum, breaks down during the broadcast after the Buckeyes win the national title.
The Herbstreits met together at Ohio State, where Kirk was a four-year letterman at quarterback and Ali was a cheerleader. They had four sons together, including Zach, who remained with the Buckeyes despite being medically retired following a heart attack.
After calling the Buckeyes’ 34-23 victory against Chris Fowler, Scott Van Pelt was on the postgame show when Scott Van Pelt decided to start with the Ohio State alum after getting teary-eyed.
Herbstreit didn’t mention what he said to McAfee, but he did discuss the Buckeyes’ team’s resilience this season.
ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit is on the field before the college football semifinal between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl on Dec. 31, 2022, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (Michael Wade/Icon Sports via Getty Images)
“Oh, don’t start on me,” Herbstreit, who grew up about an hour away from Ohio State’s Centerville, told Van Pel during the postgame show. “I’m a little emotional. I’m just fired for these guys.
“I’m incredibly objective when I call these games. You know, I love all these Ohio State teams, but this team, because of what they’ve been through to get to this point, you’re happy.”
As the cameras cut to the broadcast booth, Herbstreit is seen picking up a handkerchief from the camera to wipe away tears as Fowler continues to speak.
Kirk Herbstreit looks on from the sidelines before the “Thursday Night Football” game on Amazon Prime on October 5, 2023 in Landover, Maryland. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
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According to Herbstreit, it was a trying year for him personally, but he persevered through the college and NFL seasons, even working with Al Michaels during Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football.”
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