ESPN broadcaster reveals why he was brought to tears on broadcast after Ohio State won national championship

ESPN broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit was visibly affectional aft watching his alma mater, the Ohio State Buckeyes, triumph the College Football Playoff National Championship game, and the crushed is present known. 

Herbstreit made an quality connected "The Pat McAfee Show," wherever helium not lone discussed aesculapian complications his son, Buckeyes walk-on choky end Zak Herbstreit, went through, but helium besides revealed that his wife, Ally, has been diagnosed with bosom cancer. 

"It was astir similar a cleanable tempest for me," Herbstreit told McAfee and his unit astir his emotions during the post-game amusement arsenic Ohio State celebrated the victory. "My lad had bosom nonaccomplishment 2 years ago, and they were talking astir a bosom replacement for a while. He had to medically retire, and I deliberation the gratitude I person for Ryan Day putting his arms astir Zak and keeping him involved. 

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ABC shot expert Kirk Herbstreit looks connected earlier the assemblage shot crippled betwixt the Oregon Ducks and the Arizona State Sun Devils connected Nov. 23, 2019 astatine Sun Devil Stadium successful Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

"…Ally, my wife, faced immoderate stuff. It’s been a pugnacious twelvemonth for maine down the scenes. My woman got diagnosed with bosom cancer, you cognize (family dog) Ben dies. It was conscionable a batch of emotion, and erstwhile you bash what we do, you endure. You bash your job. 

"I deliberation what happened, erstwhile they won, I was truthful blessed for Ryan Day and those players, from what they faced and everything they went through. It was astir similar a relief, and it conscionable got the champion of me."

KIRK HERBSTREIT, OHIO STATE FOOTBALL ALUM, BREAKS DOWN DURING BROADCAST AFTER BUCKEYES WIN NATIONAL TITLE

The Herbstreits met during their clip astatine Ohio State together, wherever Kirk was a four-year letterman arsenic a backmost and Ally was a cheerleader. They had 4 sons unneurotic aft getting married, including Zak, who remained with the Buckeyes contempt having to medically discontinue pursuing his bosom failure. 

After calling the Buckeyes’ 34-23 triumph alongside Chris Fowler, Herbstreit was connected the postgame amusement erstwhile Scott Van Pelt decided to commencement with the Ohio State alum aft seeing him teary-eyed.

Herbstreit did not notation what helium said to McAfee, but helium did sermon the resiliency of this Buckeyes radical this season. 

ESPN commentator Kirk Herbstreit is connected the tract anterior to the College Football Playoff Semifinal crippled astatine the Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl betwixt the Georgia Bulldogs and the Ohio State Buckeyes connected Dec. 31, 2022 astatine Mercedes-Benz Stadium successful Atlanta. (Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

"Oh, don’t commencement with me, man," Herbstreit, who grew up astir an hr distant from Ohio State successful Centerville, told Van Pelt during the postgame show. "I’m a small emotional. I’m conscionable fired up for these guys.

"When I telephone these games, I’m incredibly objective. You know, I emotion each these Ohio State teams, but this team, due to the fact that of what they went done to get to this point, you’re conscionable happy."

When the cameras chopped backmost to the broadcast booth, Herbstreit was spotted grabbing a handkerchief disconnected camera to hitch tears distant arsenic Fowler continued to speak. 

Kirk Herbstreit looks connected from the sideline anterior to the "Thursday Night Football" crippled connected Amazon Prime astatine FedEx Field connected Oct. 5, 2023 successful Landover, Maryland. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

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As Herbstreit mentioned, it has been a trying twelvemonth personally for him, but helium has endured done the assemblage and NFL seasons, arsenic helium besides works alongside Al Michaels during Prime Video’s "Thursday Night Football."

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