Kirk Herbstreit has been widely regarded as one of the best color analysts in the business for quite some time. And soon, Herbstreit is set to receive an honor that helps culminate all that he has brought to the sports broadcasting industry.
Very few broadcasters, if any at all, have a busier schedule every football season than Herbstreit, serving as a longtime fixture on ESPN’s College GameDay on top of being ESPN’s lead color analyst calling the network’s primetime game week in and week out. And additionally, Herbstreit continues to do great work calling Thursday Night Football games on Amazon Prime since the 2022-23 NFL season.
In a post on X, Bill Hofheimer, the Vice President of ESPN Public Relations, revealed that Herbstreit is set to become the 20th Pat Summerall Award recipient, an honor he will officially receive at the Legends for Charity dinner during Super Bowl week in San Francisco ahead of Super Bowl LX.
Congrats to @KirkHerbstreit who has been named the recipient of the prestigious Pat Summerall Award.
Kirk will be honored during Super Bowl week in San Francisco at the Legends for Charity dinner benefiting @StJude Children’s Research Hospital: https://t.co/HcaAqOvJ2R pic.twitter.com/GQP5kPZ0eV
— bill hofheimer (@bhofheimer_espn) September 24, 2025
Reacting to the kind words, Herbstreit not only thanked Hofheimer, but also spoke to just what the honor means to him having grown up listening to Summerall call games as a child.
“Thanks Bill. This is really special. Truly humbled and grateful for this journey I’ve been on. In my generation watching Pat and John Madden was appointment viewing EVERY Sunday in the Fall. Often, covering my team back then, Roger Staubach and the Cowboys. I’m very appreciative to receive this honor and look forward to the dinner in SF Super Bowl week.”
Thanks Bill. This is really special. Truly humbled and grateful for this journey I’ve been on.
In my generation watching Pat and John Madden was appointment viewing EVERY Sunday in the Fall. Often, covering my team back then, Roger Staubach and the Cowboys. I’m very appreciative… https://t.co/Fu65JRBkV0— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) September 24, 2025
This honor, created in 2006, was intended to honor one national broadcaster annually that best “embodies the characteristics Pat Summerall wanted the award to represent,” which was “an individual who has had an outstanding career and who has made a significant impact in their community.”
It’s hard to argue that this honor isn’t deserved for Herbstreit. And many of his peers in the sports media acknowledged exactly that, congratulating Herbstreit on his upcoming award.
“Congrats, @KirkHerbstreit!” wrote former Thursday Night Football colleague Albert Breer. “Great (and well-deserved) honor.”
Congrats, @KirkHerbstreit! Great (and well-deserved) honor. https://t.co/U73dF5M0dT
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) September 24, 2025
Congratulations my friend! Well-deserved @KirkHerbstreit,” wrote College GameDay host Rece Davis.
Congratulations my friend! Well-deserved. @KirkHerbstreit https://t.co/AkUDDFqdhW
— Rece Davis (@ReceDavis) September 24, 2025
“Congrats and well deserved,” said fellow ESPN college football broadcaster Dusty Dvoracek.
Congrats and well deserved 👏
— DustyDvoracek (@DustyDvoracek) September 24, 2025
Kirk Herbstreit will now join the long list of legendary NFL broadcasters that have received the award in the past, a list that includes his on-air partner, Al Michaels, Jim Nantz, Joe Buck, and John Madden among many others.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.