Ad Disclosure
Kirk Herbstreit shares candid thoughts on long-time friendship with Lee Corso
By Keith Farner
Published:
Kirk Herbstreit has long had a special relationship with his ESPN “College GameDay” colleague Lee Corso.
Herbstreit and Corso will begin another season together in a matter of weeks, and the former Ohio State quarterback shared some candid thoughts during an interview with McElroy and Cubelic on WJOX in Birmingham, Alabama.
“First it was me being grateful that he was accepting of me on the show as a 23 or 24-year-old,” Herbstreit said. “I was intimidated and nervous talking to the entire country when I was really more familiar with the Big Ten market, and now I’m talking about Florida and Tennessee and Danny Wuerffel and Peyton Manning, and we’re at the Swamp one year, and the next year we’re at Neyland Stadium.”
Herbstreit said he figured he would grind through the work, but Corso, “made me feel like I belonged early.”
Herbstreit recalled that in those early days, the show was just Chris Fowler, Corso and Herbstreit, and it was only 1 hour.
Herbstreit then said that Corso is such a good listener, and Herbstreit would share stories about life, such as being a new husband or father and the things that go along with those life stages.
“He has 4 kids of his own, and I love people who have wisdom and experience and I would just talk to him about it,” Herbstreit said, and added that his kids were born in the NICU at 28 weeks, and it was a scary time as a first-time parent. “I would open up and talk to him about really heartfelt things that I didn’t talk to many people about.”
Herbstreit also called Corso, “the greatest entertainer in the history of sports television, but what I really love is the man.”
After Corso had a stroke about 12 years ago, Herbstreit said he was in a position to help Corso.
“He’s like a Dad, really,” he said.
The GOAT @KirkHerbstreit of @CollegeGameDay took some time to join @macandcube and discuss his great relationship with Lee Corso over the years. pic.twitter.com/5RlL36adkq
— WJOX 94.5 FM (@WJOX945) August 18, 2021
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
