During the 2024 season, Alabama vs. LSU was a high-stakes ‘power’ game. Brian Kelly’s defensive prowess was pitted against Kalen DeBoer’s offensive brilliance. Thousands of eyes were glued to their respective teams, hoping they would come up trumps.  But, tucked in a corner in the LSU press box sat Kirk Herbstreit, and he had with him an unfamiliar companion, roaming all around and making sense of the ‘human’ world. Before the game started and amidst the crowd chanting LSU slogans, Peter, Herbstreit’s adorable golden retriever, captivated fans and has been doing so ever since.

As busy as life gets for Kirk, he rarely forgets to bring his furry little friend, Peter, to his office. The duo share a bond stronger than steel and are likewise inseparable, even if Kirk wanted to. After that November 9th LSU game, Peter’s appearances became more frequent. The furry companion made an appearance in Athens against Georgia, then went to Columbus, Ohio, after a few days, and finally wrapped up his final 2024 CFB appearance in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The appearances were so loved by fans that, without Peter, CFB game days became quite monotonous in the press box.

So, when Kirk went to announce for the NFL draft yesterday, many naturally expected that the little one would also make his appearance there. The draft names kept getting called from 1st to 32nd, and there was no sign of Peter. Kirk Herbstreit, sitting with the legendary Nick Saban, wrapped up his day with Josh Simmons of Ohio State going to the Kansas City Chiefs. But still, Peter was nowhere to be seen. Fans naturally wondered where Peter was, and now the announcer has finally clarified that in a recent revelation.

Herbstreit took to X and cleared the looming air on Peter’s absence with an adorable photo of Peter sitting carefree in front of the Lambeau Field. “A lot of people asked me where Peter was last night. He stayed at the hotel during the draft, but we had an awesome walk over to Lambeau yesterday morning. Thank you, Green Bay, for an INCREDIBLE experience last night. No surprise- you all were exceptional hosts, and I know that will continue over the next 2 days. Enjoy!”

Peter currently has three dogs: Mitch, Theo, and Peter. We can regularly see the dogs featuring in Kirk’s IG stories, with Kirk sharing adorable moments with his furry pets. But Peter right now may be a star in his own right. After Kirk’s other dog, Ben passed recently after a prolonged battle with cancer, Peter filled that void in Kirk’s life and helped him share Kirk’s grief at the crucial juncture. Since then, Kirk has replicated Peter’s love tenfold and never shies away from taking him with him and sharing the adorable, cuddly moments with us frequently.

Kirk Herbstreit opens up on Ben’s passing

Before Peter came into the picture, Kirk’s longtime companion Ben used to accompany him to the college game days. The fan following and pull of Ben were so great that several teams, including the Aggies and LSU, honored him after Ben left the world tragically. Penn State even gave a gift box to Kirk, remembering the lifelong moments he made with his dog, which also included a dog bed, toys, and treats with a heartfelt note. Kirk opened up about Ben’s passing and how he coped after that.

“That’s been overwhelming, honestly. I mean, it started with Ben, as you know, and that was tough. That really came on pretty quickly, and I just decided I had three other goals. I decided to bring my youngest here. This is Peter; he’s 16 months and took him out once to LSU-Alabama in Baton Rouge. I figured if he could make it to that one, he could do anything, and he did really well, and I had no plan… He’s a great companion, and it’s been great on the backend of what we dealt with, Ben.”

Now with Peter, Mitch, and Theo in the picture. They have garnered a fan following of their own, with people regularly demanding that the announcer bring all of his dogs to his game days. But Kirk probably has a favorite one right now (Peter), and we will see the guy in a better future side by side, matching Kirk’s charm and showing off his cuteness for a better future.