Why Did ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit Not Play in The NFL?
Who is Kirk Herbstreit?
Kirk Herbstreit is an American sportscaster. He has a specified role as an analyst for ESPN’s College GameDay, a college football-focused television program. He also provides color commentary on college football games on ESPN and ABC and Thursday night NFL games on Prime Video.
Herbstreit and NFL play-by-play broadcaster Al Michaels were confirmed as the new color commentators for Thursday Night Football on Prime Video on March 23, 2022.
He agreed to extend his ESPN contract on the same day, which would enable him to continue hosting GameDay, Saturday Night Football, and the NFL Draft in addition to his new NFL responsibilities with Amazon.
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Kirk Herbstreit is a Native of Ohio
Herbstreit is 54 years old as of 2023. He was born on August 19, 1969, in Centerville, Ohio, United States. Kirk went to Centerville High School, which is located in the Dayton suburb of Centerville, Ohio. He played quarterback at Ohio State University for four years, from 1989 to 1993.
His father, Jim is also a household name in Ohio. Jim co-captained the 1960 Ohio State squad alongside offensive tackle Jim Tyrer. In 1992, Herbstreit and his son were the only father-son team to have served as Ohio State captains together when they were named co-captains.
Kirk Herbstreit Wife
Kirk married his wife, Alison Butler in 1998. The couple met at Ohio State University, where she was a cheerleader. They have four sons together namely; Zak, Tye, Jake, and Chase. Jake and Tye were athletes at Montgomery Bell Academy.
The family relocated from Ohio to Nashville in 2011 and currently divides their time between Nashville and Cincinnati, where Chase is known as a football player.Â
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Kirk Herbstreit Career at ESPN
Herbstreit began working for ESPN as a sideline analyst for college football in September 1995. His role as a game analyst on ESPN’s popular Thursday night college football series ran from 1999 until 2006 after which, he appeared on College GameDay.
He is the leading college football pundit and one of the most regarded football brains of his time. His name is closely associated with college football, as he has been a regular of ESPN’s coverage for almost thirty years. He is a five-time recipient of the Sports Emmy Award for Best Analyst.
Herbstreit began working with Fowler and the late Lee Corso on the set of ESPN’s eight-time Sports Emmy Award-winning College GameDay and has been a lead analyst there for 26 years.
Being a prominent voice on college football’s top pregame show has garnered him three Sports Emmy Awards for Outstanding Studio Analyst (2010, 2011, 2019) and ten nominations overall.
Herbstreit is well-known for his in-depth research and perceptive viewpoint. He frequently contributes to SportsCenter, ESPN’s weekly CFP rankings program, ESPN and ABC’s yearly NFL Draft presentation, and other publications.
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Kirk Herbstreit’s Salary and Net Worth
Herbstreit earns an annual salary of $4 million. His wages have increased over the years and his roles have increased at ESPN. Kirk has a net worth of $12 million at the moment. He has built his wealth primarily from his career.
Why Did Kirk Herbstreit Not Play in The NFL?
After graduating from college, Herbstreit was not a highly anticipated player; instead, he spent the majority of his career quietly supporting Greg Frey and Kent Graham before assuming control of the offense as a senior.
