History of Kirk Herbstreit in Timeline
Kirk Herbstreit is a prominent American sportscaster and former college football player. He is best known as an analyst for ESPN's College GameDay and provides color commentary for college football games on ESPN/ABC, and NFL games on Prime Video. Recognized for his insightful analysis, Herbstreit has earned five Sports Emmy Awards. He also contributed to the popular NCAA Football video game series by EA Sports as a commentator.
1960: Father Co-Captained Ohio State Team
In 1960, Kirk Herbstreit's father, Jim Herbstreit, co-captained the Ohio State team.
August 19, 1969: Kirk Herbstreit Born
On August 19, 1969, Kirk Edward Herbstreit was born. He is now a well-known American sportscaster and former college football player.
1988: Committed to Ohio State
In 1988, Kirk Herbstreit committed to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes after John Cooper was hired as head coach.
1989: Four-Year Letterman
From 1989, Kirk Herbstreit was a four-year letterman as a quarterback at Ohio State University.
1989: First Father-Son Duo
In 1989, James and Jeff Davidson became the first father-son duo to each be Ohio State captains.
1989: Joined Ohio State Buckeyes
In 1989, Kirk Herbstreit began his football career with the Ohio State Buckeyes as a quarterback.
1992: Named Team Captain
In 1992, Kirk Herbstreit was named co-captain and team MVP for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He passed for 1,904 yards that season.
1992: Herbstreit Named Captain
In 1992, Kirk Herbstreit was named co-captain of Ohio State, becoming the second father-son duo to achieve this honor.
1993: Finished Playing for Ohio State
In 1993, Kirk Herbstreit concluded his time playing football for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
1993: Graduated from Ohio State
In 1993, Kirk Herbstreit graduated from Ohio State with a degree in business administration.
September 1995: Joined ESPN
In September 1995, Kirk Herbstreit joined ESPN as a college football sideline analyst.
1997: Nominated for Sports Emmy Award
In 1997, Kirk Herbstreit was nominated for a Sports Emmy Award as television's top studio analyst.
1998: Married Alison
In 1998, Kirk Herbstreit married Alison, whom he met at Ohio State.
July 2007: Served as Panelist on Who's Now
In July 2007, Kirk Herbstreit served as a panelist on the series Who's Now.
2007: Third Father-Son Duo
In 2007, Pepper and Dionte Johnson became the third father-son duo to each be Ohio State captains.
2009: Sued IRS
In 2009, Kirk Herbstreit sued the IRS over changes to deductions for house donations to the fire department.
2011: Moved to Nashville
In 2011, the Herbstreit family moved from Ohio to Nashville.
2013: NCAA Football Series Hiatus
In 2013, the NCAA Football series went on hiatus, with no new entries until 2024.
2018: Replaced Jon Gruden for NFL Draft Coverage
In 2018, Kirk Herbstreit replaced Jon Gruden for night one of ESPN's NFL Draft coverage after Gruden's departure.
2020: Announced Monday Night Football Game
In 2020, Kirk Herbstreit announced the first game of the Monday Night Football Kickoff Week doubleheader.
2021: Called MNF Doubleheader Game
During the final week of the 2021 season, in 2022, Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler called the first game of a Monday Night Football doubleheader.
2021: Son Joined Ohio State Team
In 2021, Kirk Herbstreit's son, Zak, joined the Ohio State football team as a preferred walk-on.
March 23, 2022: Joined Thursday Night Football
On March 23, 2022, Kirk Herbstreit was announced as the new color commentator for Thursday Night Football on Prime Video.
2022: Called MNF Doubleheader Game
In 2022, Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler called the first game of a Monday Night Football doubleheader during the final week of the 2021 season.
November 2024: Death of Ben
In November 2024, Ben, Kirk Herbstreit's golden retriever and emotional support animal, died due to leukemia.
2024: Returned to NCAA Football
In 2024, the NCAA Football series returned, and Kirk Herbstreit was included as one of the in-game commentators.
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