Two months ago, after calling the Ohio State vs Notre Dame Final with the Buckeyes winning it all, Kirk Herbstreit told his co-announcer that the moment was especially emotional for him “Because of what they (Ohio State) went through to get to this point, you’re just happy, you know?” Now you can believe that he said these words because he truly loves his alma mater and is a lifetime Ohio sports fan. But what if these words meant more?

It is no secret that Kirk is a family man. No matter what the situation, his family comes first. But while the veteran sportscaster has brought the Saturdays to a whole another level by breaking down Xs and Os of matchups, delivering insight, and bringing the energy, his personal life has had just as many halts. Yet, the Ohio State alum is here today, just happy and positive, iterating his story, and paying ode to his wife and four sons, who through it all, have stayed in the game of life.

Long before he was one of college football’s most respected voices, he was a terrified new father staring at two fragile newborns fighting for their lives and a husband whose wife met with unexpected clinical conditions.

“My identical twins (Jake and Tye) were born at two pounds each. They were born at 28 weeks. That was my introduction to being a dad. I could take my ring—I always say to people to give them an understanding—I take the ring off my finger, go down their foot, all the way up to their hipbone because their legs were like the size of your finger and their skin was transparent. They were in the NICU for about eight weeks. I was always, to this day probably, just so concerned about them because of those images that we dealt with,” he revealed on the Pure Athlete podcast, his voice heavy with emotion.

Although their lives started with scares, the two have showcased the athletic genes from their father over the years. As third graders, Kirk would coach them from the benches as they would play baseball. Sure, the sport at that point in life was more about fun than competition, but for the tough-minded, competitive guy like their father, it was always about winning.

Both twins were athletes in Montgomery Bell Academy and Tye has continued down this road as a walk-on in Clemson University from 2019 to 2022 and appeared in 12 games. However, Jake took his aspirations to his father’s alma mater from where he graduated last year to focus on studies after joining Tye for a short stint with the Tigers till 2021. But even this didn’t come easy. With the next pregnancy, Kirk and his wife Allsion found out another dark reality they had to face.

“My next two sons, we realized my wife had a, it’s called an incompetent cervix, and she had her cerclage which kind of stitched up her cervix to allow her to have more of a full-term pregnancy with our next two. We didn’t know that with our twins.” 

After the twins, the family welcomed son Zak and later Chase. The youngest Herbstreit is in his senior high school year and putting his athletic genes to full use. While Zak, while started as a mainstay for the Buckeyes in 2021, also had a sudden, unwelcomed medical threat.

In June 2023, Zak Herbstreit’s football career was turned upside down in a matter of days. What doctors initially thought was pneumonia turned out to be a heart condition, forcing him to step away from the game he loved. “My son had heart failure two years ago, and they were talking about a heart replacement there for a while. He had to medically retire, and I think the gratitude I have for (Head Coach) Ryan Day putting his arms around Zak and keeping him involved,” Herbstreit said, emphasizing how much it meant to him that Day didn’t turn his back on his son. Today, Zak is a national champion with the Bucks as a preferred walk-on.

But even as he processed Zak’s sudden football retirement, an even bigger storm was brewing. In early 2024, the family got the news no one ever wants to hear—Alison had been diagnosed with breast cancer. “Ally, my wife, faced some stuff. It’s been a tough year for me behind the scenes. My wife got diagnosed with breast cancer, you know, (our family dog) Ben dies. It was just a lot of emotion, and when you do what we do, you endure,” he admitted during his appearance this January on The Pat McAfee Show.

Not only did Alison get breast cancer but their oldest dog of 10 years, Ben, was diagnosed with Leukemia. Kirk had been openly discussing Ben’s health when he announced in September that he had had that condition since March 2024. In November, the sportscaster revealed that Ben was not doing well. Ben died later, only adding to the painful storms that were inside Kirk and his family. Through it all, Herbstreit did what he’s always done—shouldered the burden and kept moving forward, even when life seemed determined to knock him down.

He was traveling constantly, splitting time between ESPN’s College GameDay and Thursday Night Football as he continued to climb the ladder in his professional life. But when it came to sharing the special moments with his kids? He was always there.

“To me it’s simple like they were the priority period. I was, as you aid, in an early stage of my career. I had big opportunities to advance and to continue to grow in my career, and I’m not saying that that wasn’t important, that was obviously very very important. But at the same time, I had kids because I wanted to be a dad and I wanted to have a family. I wanted to make that the priority. I mean you’ll have to ask them, but I always tried to make them the priority no matter what I’m doing.”

But having that competitive drive, Kirk would also give time for his work. And when he was busy, it was Alison who took charge of the house. “Now, if the work calls, you gotta do it. And if you’re gonna be good at something, you gotta prioritize your time. But I always just felt like… you know my wife, kind of ran the home, was with me traveling and doing whatever I did, very good at communicating and just being on the same page on what’s going on with the house.”

Unlike many coaches and sports personalities that have revealed their regrets on not giving enough time to their kids because of their jobs that does take up all their time, Herbstreit wasn’t just an observer in his kids’ lives. He was actively involved, no matter where he was. Whether it was school, sports, or anything in between, Herbstreit made sure his boys knew he was paying attention.

2024 was another wild college football ride for most of us, but for Kirk Herbstreit, it was a whole lot of different game. Forget the touchdowns and rivalries—for him, it was all about showing some serious grit, love, and sticking by his family no matter what. He navigated the highs and lows with the same poise he brings to the broadcast booth, but this wasn’t about sports. It was about being a husband, a father, and a man doing everything he could to hold his family together.

The spotlight will always be there. The cameras, the analysis, the excitement of college football Saturdays—it’s all part of his world. But when it comes down to it, Herbstreit’s biggest victories aren’t measured in wins and losses. And as he supports his family through thick and thin, he also makes time for people close to him.

When former ESPN pal faced a similar mishap Kirk Herbstreit rallied around him

Former Georgia Bulldogs legend and longtime ESPN analyst David Pollack delivered some gut-wrenching news on March 15, sharing that his wife, Lindsey, is battling brain cancer and has to undergo surgery at Duke. Pollack, known for his passion on the field and in the studio, took to social media to ask for prayers.

“If you are the praying type, please lift up my wife Lindsey. She has brain cancer and surgery is Wednesday at Duke. So thankful to serve a loving God that meets us in our struggles!” Pollack wrote. The post quickly gained traction, with an outpouring of love and support from fans, friends, and fellow analysts.

Among them was Kirk Herbstreit, who worked alongside Pollack on ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ for over a decade. Herbstreit, who has dealt with his own family’s battle with cancer, took to X to share his support. “Prayers for Lindsey and the entire Pollack family,” Herbstreit tweeted.

The college football community is tight-knit, and in tough moments like this, it shows. Everyone is pulling for the Pollack family, hoping for strength and healing. As for Kirk, looking at all that he has been through, as he said, “Because of what they (the Herbstreits) went through to get to this point, you’re just happy, you know?”