Sports commentator Kirk Herbstreit has an adorable Golden Retriever named Big Ben and he has become a star.
The ESPN and Amazon Prime analyst started taking Ben on road trips back in October and fans have loved it.
He recently met UGA the Bulldog, and the meeting was everything.
The Athletic reported this week that Kirk had been bringing Ben on the road as the family has been going through a difficult time.
From the report:
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NCAA stories via Google! Follow Us
“He first hit the road for a work trip in October, when Herbstreit took him to Seattle. Herbstreit said his family had been going through some difficult times, including the hospitalization of his 20-year-old son, Zak, due to a heart condition. Zak, a tight end at Ohio State, has rejoined the team but is not practicing and has said he continues to receive treatment.
Ben provided Herbstreit comfort while he was away. The family’s other two goldens, Theo and Mitch, from the same breeder in New Jersey, stayed home.”
It was reported over the summer that Zak Herbstreit would undergo a three- to four-month recovery process after being hospitalized with a heart issue.
Zak has spent two seasons with the Buckeyes as a preferred walk-on after playing high school football at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, Tennessee. He appeared in three games last season. He has yet to record any official statistics with the Buckeyes.
He is the third Herbstreit in as many generations to play football at Ohio State.
Kirk played quarterback for the Buckeyes from 1989-92, while his late grandfather, Jim, played multiple positions at Ohio State from 1958-60.
Ohio State reached the College Football Playoff in 2022, losing to eventual champion Georgia in the CFP Peach Bowl semifinal.
After missing out on the College Football Playoff this year, the Buckeyes will head to Dallas to face Missouri in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 29.
