Kirk Herbstreit opens up on 'father figure' relationship with Lee Corso

Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso are synonymous with College GameDay and their relationship came full circle as of late.

With Herbstreit as the mainstay on ESPN’s pregame show and Corso approaching his 80s, it’s vastly different from when it started. But the relationship always remained strong and that’ll continue into 2024.

Herbstreit mentioned how Corso became a father figure in their friendship early on and it’s something he cherished to this day.

“It’s changed a lot,” Herbstreit said on The Mental Game. “From that very first audition where I sat next to him and I was nervous and he tried to calm me down and they hired me and I show up that first season and he treated me as an equal. You know, I never forget how comfortable, he basically put his arm around me and made me feel like it was just me and Chris and him. And he was an analyst and I’m an analyst and we’re going to talk about these games. The show was only an hour back then, but just how he made me feel (comfortable).” 

Herbstreit then dove into how his relationship with Corso changed for the better.

“Where our relationship changed is when, I don’t know if you remember the silly SportsCenter commercials years ago we used to do, Game Day used to do commercials like that,” Herbstreit said. “We would go out to LA and my life changed from being single when I was first on the show, to being married to then having (premature) babies with twins that were two pounds each, they were born very early. And we would inevitably get into conversations because he’s a guy that would ask you how you doing? No, how are you really doing? 

“And I would open up and I would talk to him and he would listen, that was a key because my dad didn’t listen real well. He would listen and then he would listen and listen and then he would give me a thought or two about almost like wisdom that he was giving me. It happened one time and then another time then another time and another time. And it became like something I look forward to and I needed. So I guess like another father figure in my life. “

Herbstreit is at the forefront of College GameDay these days while Corso remained on the show. Corso is a legend, but after his stroke over a decade ago, it became much more difficult to speak.

That’s where Herbstreit returned the favor and helped Corso from then to the present. 

“And then he had a stroke about 12 or 13 years ago, he lost his ability to speak and use the right side of his body, and he’s worked real hard to get it back,” Herbstreit said. “Well, then I found myself, kind of like full circle. I tried to be what he was to me. I tried to help him whenever I can, however I can. Just because No. 1 that’s what a friend should do, right? But No. 2 is he’s into his late 70s, into 80s. I think a lot of people watch him and I see him tripping on his words and they think ‘oh that son of a bitch, why is he still there?’ 

“And I’m like, if you only knew his cognitive mind is as sharp as ever. He just struggles sometimes getting his words out. We’ve gone from just one extreme where I’m just looking up at him like, what do I do right? And you know, becoming his equal, I guess, for many years and now just trying to help him in any way I can.”