Kirk Herbstreit releases statement on behalf of hospitalized son, Ohio State player Zak Herbstreit

Tuesday, reports surfaced saying Ohio State football player Zak Herbstreit — son of ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit — was hospitalized in Columbus for an undisclosed reason. Later in the day, he released a statement through his father.

Kirk Herbstreit took to Twitter to share a statement Zak asked him to share. In the tweet, Kirk had a message from the family thanking those who reached out and offered their support.

“My son Zak is in the hospital and wanted me to send this note out,” Kirk Herbstreit tweeted. “I just wanted to add how much we appreciate so many people reaching out concerned about his well being. He has a long journey ahead of him.”

Then, he shared a statement from Zak about his condition.

My son Zak is in the hospital and wanted me to send this note out. I just wanted to add how much we appreciate so many people reaching out concerned about his well being. He has a long journey ahead of him.

“I have had a bit of a setback these past couple of weeks. Not feeling…

— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) June 20, 2023

“I have had a bit of a setback these past couple of weeks,” Zak Herbstreit wrote. “Not feeling right. Culminated with tests results this past Friday that forced me into the hospital. I have some of the best cardiologists looking after me, and I am beyond appreciative. We are doing a number of tests and conjuring a plan to ensure that I will be able to be back to feeling normal again. I appreciate the overwhelming support over the past couple of days. I am feeling good and hope to be out of the hospital soon.”

More on Zak Herbstreit

ABC 6 in Columbus was one of the first to report Zak Herbstreit’s hospitalization and reported he was in stable condition. He is a preferred walk-on at Ohio State — his father’s alma mater — and plays tight end. He’s listed at 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds.

As a member of the Class of 2021, Zak Herbstreit was not ranked, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He played his high school football at Nashville (Tenn.) Montgomery Bell Academy.

Zak’s older brothers Ty and Jake walked on at Clemson and opted not to go to Ohio State. Kirk Herbstreit was just fine with that decision.

“When it came time to go to school, they just happened to go to a Clemson camp going into their senior year and did pretty well, and (head coach) Dabo (Swinney) kind of kept an eye on them and stayed in touch with them and offered them an opportunity to be preferred walk-ons,” Kirk Herbstreit previously told reporters. “They decided to take him up on it. It was really as simple as that.”

On3’s Nick Kosko contributed to this report.