Kirk Herbstreit

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'Kirk Herbstreit'
Born	August 19, 1969 (1969-08-19) (age 38) Centerville, Montgomery County, Ohio
Occupation	College Football Analyst
Spouse	Allison Butler
Children	Identical twins, Jake and Tye, born June 16, 2000

Kirk Herbstreit (born August 19, 1969, Centerville, Ohio) is an analyst for ESPN's College GameDay, a television program covering college football and a provider of color commentary during college football games on ESPN and ABC. He appears annually as a commentator in EA Sports' NCAA Football.

[edit] Biography

[edit] Playing career

Kirk was a four-year letter winner as a quarterback at Ohio State University from 1989 – 1993. He graduated from Centerville High School in Centerville, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton. He was the Ohio Player of the Year as a senior for Centerville, as well as a standout table tennis player.

Herbstreit was the first player to commit to the Ohio State Buckeyes after the hiring of John Cooper as head coach in 1988. After waiting his turn as a Buckeye starter behind Greg Frey and Kent Graham, Herbstreit finally led the team as a senior in 1992. That year he was a co-captain (along with linebacker Steve Tovar) and was voted team MVP. Herbstreit passed for 1,904 yards that season, including four 200+ yard games, before losing to the Georgia Bulldogs in the Florida Citrus Bowl. As a college quarterback, Herbstreit had held the Ohio State record for pass completions in the rivalry game against Michigan. He completed 28 passes in a 1992 tie game. His 271-yard game against arch-rival University of Michigan, to earn a 13-13 tie, is believed to have saved Coach Cooper's job.

Herbstreit's father, Jim Herbstreit, had been a co-captain (along with offensive tackle Jim Tyrer) of the 1960 Ohio State team, and was later an assistant coach at Ohio State under Woody Hayes. 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 Davidson were the first in 1989; Pepper and Dionte Johnson became the third in 2007.)

Kirk Herbstreit graduated from Ohio State in 1993 with a degree in business administration.

[edit] Broadcasting career

Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit discuss college football on an evening update of ESPN College Gameday. Herbstreit tells the old joke "What does the N on the Nebraska helmet stand for? Knowledge!"

Chris Fowler and Lee Corso sit alongside Herbstreit on the ESPN College GameDay set, discussing the day's college football games, and analyzing highlights and players. College GameDay frequently makes Saturday road trips to various colleges around the United States to preview the school's upcoming football game. He was nominated for a 1997 Sports Emmy Award as television’s top studio analyst, along with Cris Collinsworth (eventual winner), Howie Long, Terry Bradshaw and Steve Lyons. He is a frequent contributor to ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine. In 1997, he wrote a weekly in-season column—"Inside The Game With Kirk Herbstreit"—for The Sporting News. 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.

Herbstreit is also a contributor to the Columbus, Ohio based AM radio station 1460 The Fan; 1460 is also an ESPN Radio affiliate. When not on assignment for ESPN, Herbstreit is a co-host of the 4–7 p.m. show called The Big Show, along with Bruce Hooley. Also in July 2007, he served as a panelist for the series Who's Now alongside Keyshawn Johnson and Michael Wilbon.

Herbstreit is also a regular co-host on ESPN Radio Tirico & Van Pelt Show that airs from 1 p.m. through 3 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on weekdays. The show is preceded by Colin Cowherd's The Herd and is followed by The Scott Van Pelt Show.

[edit] Personal life

Herbstreit and his wife Allison Butler (former Ohio State cheerleader) were married in June 1998. They have identical twin sons, Jake and Tye, born June 16, 2000, a 4-year-old boy, Zak (12/9/2003), and another son, Chase (August 2006). All of Herbstreit's children appeared on College GameDay with their father in full Buckeye dress as Herbstreit picked Ohio State to beat Penn State University on September 23rd, 2006. Herbstreit lives with his family in Upper Arlington, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus.