The relationship between Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso took center stage this week as the two College GameDay hosts were featured in a heartwarming article at GQ, and on Friday, Herbstreit added more detail on why Corso means so much to him beyond the studio set.
The two have worked together on GameDay since 1996, and Herbstreit is one of the few people who can still recall Corso’s days as a real firebrand in college football.
“He’s a different guy today at 88 years old than the guy that I broke in with,” Herbstreit said on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday, comparing Corso to McAfee. “He was cutting edge … just saying stuff that other people didn’t say.”
Kirk Herbstreit compares Lee Corso to Pat McAfee as part of a heartwarming tribute pic.twitter.com/g93kv7cH9i
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 29, 2023
Herbstreit went on to explain the lessons he has learned in soaking up wisdom from an elder by working alongside Corso.
“There are people that go ahead of you that to me if you just slow down and pay attention to and respect and appreciate their wisdom, he’s just one of those guys,” Herbstreit explained. “And he listened … which I didn’t really have a lot of people in my life that did that.”
After Corso suffered a stroke in 2009, Herbstreit noticed a difference in his mentor’s ability to communicate. But he still reveres Corso for diving back into college football commentary and the sport he loves.
“A lot of people, they see him struggle on the air and I see the nasty stuff that people say,” Herbstreit noted. “His cognitive thinking is as sharp as it’s ever been … when people have a stroke they struggle to get their words out sometimes, and that’s what he fights.”
Kirk Herbstreit explains why the criticism of Lee Corso is unfair pic.twitter.com/U1SDNwUWNL
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 29, 2023
Herbstreit echoed Corso’s hopes to return in 2024 for a 37th season.
After all, it is hard to imagine a college football season without Corso.
“He’s a treasure chest,” Herbstreit added. “He’s a beautiful part of the College GameDay fabric and really college football in general.”
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.