Kirk Herbstreit (ˈhɜrbstriːt; born August 19, 1969,
Centerville, Ohio* Centerville City School District, Montgomery County, Ohio* Mad River Road* State Route 48* State Route 725-External links:* *...
) is an
Emmy AwardThe Sports Emmy Awards are presented by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in recognition of excellence in American sports television programming, including sports-related series, live coverage of sporting events, and best sports announcers...
-winning analyst for
ESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's
College GameDay, a television program covering
college footballCollege football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
and a provider of color commentary during college football games on ESPN and ABC. He appears annually as a commentator in
EA SportsEA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
'
NCAA FootballNCAA Football is a football video game series in which you play as any current Division I FBS college team. This game is developed by EA Sports. Because of NCAA rules, current college players are not permitted to be used as the cover athletes...
. He was a
quarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
on the Ohio State football team. He saw action in a few games his junior season (including the bowl loss against Syracuse) and was the starting quarterback throughout his senior season.
Playing career and subsequent activities in Ohio
Herbstreit graduated from
Centerville High SchoolCenterville High School is a public school of secondary education for grades 9–12 located in Centerville, Ohio, situated ten miles south of Dayton...
in
Centerville, Ohio* Centerville City School District, Montgomery County, Ohio* Mad River Road* State Route 48* State Route 725-External links:* *...
, a suburb of
DaytonDayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
. In his high school quarterbacking days, he was the Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior for Centerville. He also was a standout baseball player.
Herbstreit was the first player to commit to the
Ohio State BuckeyesThe Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of The Ohio State University, named after the state tree, the Buckeye. The Buckeyes participate in the NCAA's Division I in all sports and the Big Ten Conference in most sports...
after the hiring of
John CooperJohn Cooper is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Tulsa , Arizona State University , and Ohio State University , compiling a career record of 192–84–6...
as
head coachA head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
in 1988. Kirk was a four-year
letter winnerA varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
as a
quarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
at
Ohio State UniversityThe Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
from 1989 to 1993. After waiting his turn as a
BuckeyeThe Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of The Ohio State University, named after the state tree, the Buckeye. The Buckeyes participate in the NCAA's Division I in all sports and the Big Ten Conference in most sports...
starter behind
Greg FreyGreg Frey is a former college football player. He is currently a football announcer and high school football assistant coach....
and
Kent GrahamKent Douglas Graham is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League. Graham played quarterback at the University of Notre Dame before transferring to Ohio State University...
, Herbstreit finally led the team as a senior in 1992. That year he was a co-captain (along with
linebackerA linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Steve TovarSteven Eric Tovar is a former college and professional American football linebacker and a former football coach at the University of Kansas.-College career:...
) and was voted team MVP. Herbstreit passed for 1,904 yards that season, including four 200+ yard games, before losing to the
Georgia BulldogsThe Georgia Bulldogs are the athletic teams of the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference...
in the Florida Citrus Bowl. As a college quarterback, Herbstreit had held the Ohio State record for pass completions in the
rivalry gameThe Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry, also known as The Game, is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Wolverines of the University of Michigan and the Buckeyes of The Ohio State University...
against
MichiganThe Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
. He completed 28 passes for 271 yards in a 13-13 tie against arch-rival
University of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1992.
Herbstreit's father, Jim Herbstreit, had been a co-captain (along with offensive tackle
Jim TyrerJames Efflo Tyrer was an American football offensive tackle in the American Football League for the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs...
) of the 1960
Ohio StateThe Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of The Ohio State University, named after the state tree, the Buckeye. The Buckeyes participate in the NCAA's Division I in all sports and the Big Ten Conference in most sports...
team, and was later an assistant coach at Ohio State under
Woody HayesWayne Woodrow "Woody" Hayes was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Denison University , Miami University , and Ohio State University , compiling a career college football record of 238–72–10.During his 28 seasons as the head coach of the Ohio...
. When Kirk Herbstreit was named co-captain in 1992, the two became only the second father-and-son duo to have each been Ohio State captains. (James and
Jeff DavidsonJeff Davidson is the current offensive line coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.-High school:...
were the first in 1989;
PepperThomas "Pepper" Johnson is a former American football linebacker, and the current defensive line coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League.-College:...
and
Dionte JohnsonDionte Johnson is an American football fullback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Ohio State...
became the third in 2007.)
Herbstreit graduated from
Ohio StateThe Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
in 1993 with a
degreeAn academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
in Business Administration. He currently lives in Franklin, TN, with his wife and four boys. He also is known for a 2009 case in which he sued the IRS for changing an implied policy of allowing deductions for house donations to the Fire Department for training purposes.
He has lent his name to the Kirk Herbstreit National Kickoff Classic in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Dallas, Texas. According to the website, the Kickoff Classic "pits high school teams from the states of Ohio and Texas against prep football powerhouses from across the nation" over the Labor Day weekend. The games in Ohio are usually held at
Paul Brown StadiumPaul Brown Stadium is an American sports stadium located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. It opened on August 19, 2000. The stadium was named after Bengals' founder Paul Brown. The stadium is located on approximately of land and...
(home of the
Cincinnati BengalsThe Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
), or
Nippert StadiumNippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio is the University of Cincinnati's football stadium, home to their Bearcats football team in rudimentary form since 1901, and as a complete stadium since 1924, making it the fourth oldest playing site and fifth oldest stadium in college football.In 1895, the...
(home of the
Cincinnati BearcatsThe Cincinnati Bearcats are the NCAA athletic teams representing the University of Cincinnati. Since July 1, 2005, the school's athletic teams have been members of the Big East Conference....
), while the games in Texas are held in the new
Dallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
' stadium.
Broadcasting career
Chris FowlerChris Fowler is a sports broadcaster for ESPN known best for his work on College GameDay for college football. Since 1989, Fowler has been the primary studio host for college football. Until 2006, he was also the lead studio host for men's college basketball on ESPN...
,
Desmond HowardDesmond Kevin Howard is a former NFL wide receiver, punt returner, and kickoff returner.He played football for the University of Michigan from 1989–1991 and won the Heisman Trophy in 1991...
, and
Lee CorsoLeland "Lee" Corso is a sports broadcaster and football analyst for ESPN. He has been featured on ESPN's College GameDay program since its inception and he appeared annually as a commentator in EA Sports' NCAA Football through NCAA Football 11...
sit alongside Herbstreit on the ESPN
College GameDay set, discussing the day's college football games, and analyzing highlights and players. Every Saturday,
College GameDay makes road trips to various colleges around the United States to preview the school's upcoming football game. Herbstreit serves as an analyst for ABC Sports' college football prime time series alongside either play-by-play man
Brent MusburgerBrent Woody Musburger is an American sportscaster for the ESPN and ABC television networks. Formerly with CBS Sports and one of the original members of their legendary program The NFL Today, Musburger has covered NASCAR, NBA, MLB, NCAA football and basketball games. Musburger has also served as a...
, who frequently refers to his partner as "Herbie", or
Terry GannonTerrance Patrick "Terry" Gannon , is a sportscaster for ABC Sports, ESPN and The Golf Channel. Gannon's work has included an extensive variety of sporting events, including college basketball, as well as figure skating, golf, college football, and the WNBA.-College basketball:Gannon began his...
. He was nominated for a 1997
Sports Emmy AwardThe Sports Emmy Awards are presented by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in recognition of excellence in American sports television programming, including sports-related series, live coverage of sporting events, and best sports announcers...
as television's top studio analyst, along with
Cris CollinsworthAnthony Cris Collinsworth is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for eight seasons in the 1980s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played his entire professional career for...
(eventual winner),
Howie LongHoward "Howie" Matthew Moses Long is an American former National Football League defensive end and actor. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000...
,
Terry BradshawTerry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
and
Steve LyonsStephen John Lyons is a former Major League Baseball player and a television sportscaster. He is of French and Irish descent, and currently resides in Hermosa Beach, California....
. He is a frequent contributor to ESPN.com and
ESPN The MagazineESPN The Magazine is a bi-weekly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut in the United States. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998....
. In 1997, he wrote a weekly in-season column—"Inside The Game With Kirk Herbstreit"—for
The Sporting NewsSporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
. Herbstreit previously worked Thursday night games for ESPN as a color commentator, and he is currently in the booth for Saturday night college football games on ABC. On the day of the 2007 SEC championship game, Kirk Herbstreit falsely reported on ESPN's College GameDay that Les Miles had accepted an offer to succeed Lloyd Carr as the head coach at the University of Michigan.
Herbstreit is also a contributor to the
Columbus, OhioColumbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
-based FM radio station
97.1 The FanWBNS-FM is a radio station in Columbus, Ohio airing a sports radio format.WBNS-FM features a combination of local programming and ESPN Radio programming, and is the flagship station for the Ohio State Buckeyes football and basketball radio networks...
; 97.1 is also an
ESPN RadioESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
affiliate. When not on assignment for ESPN, Herbstreit is a co-host of the 1–3 p.m. show called
The Big Show, along with Bruce Hooley and the fellow Buckeye Alum and College Hall of Fame Linebacker
Chris SpielmanCharles Christopher "Chris" Spielman is a former American football player and is currently an analyst for ESPN's coverage of college football games.-Football career:...
on 97.1 The Fan. Also in July 2007, he served as a panelist for the series "Who's Now" alongside
Keyshawn JohnsonJoseph Keyshawn Johnson is a former American football wide receiver, interior designer, business executive, author and current television broadcaster for sports channel ESPN. He retired from football on May 23, 2007 after an eleven-year career in the National Football League...
and
Michael WilbonMichael Ray Wilbon is a former sportswriter and columnist for the Washington Post and current ESPN commentator. He serves as an analyst for ESPN and co-hosts Pardon the Interruption on ESPN with former Post writer Tony Kornheiser, and has been doing so since 2001.-Career:Wilbon began working for...
.
It was announced on June 28, 2010 that Herbstreit will host a weekly college football radio program on 97.1 The Fan in Columbus.
Kirk Herbstreit posted on his Twitter account that he has moved to Nashville, Tennessee from his home in Ohio because of harassment by vocal Ohio State fans accusing him of criticizing his alma mater directly. Herbstreit was quoted as saying "It's the vocal minority that make it rough. They probably represent 5 to 10% of the fan base but they are relentless."
External links