Kirk Herbstreit Tears Up on Live TV After Losing His Favorite Pet Dog to Cancer

Kirk Herbstreit lost a family member this week, causing him great pain. The beloved television personality has been an emotional wreck all week due to the illness of his golden retriever, Ben. After a long and difficult battle, the pet dog lost the fight against cancer and tragically had to be put down.

The retriever was more than just a pet to Herbstreit; he was loved by the entire NFL community due to the many televised appearances he’s made. And now that he’s gone, Herbstreit couldn’t hold back his emotions during one of his regularly scheduled shows.

On the latest episode of the College Gameday Football, the other hosts of the show paid an endearing tribute to Ben, who was dubbed the “nation’s pet.” Herbstreit was seen losing his composure but managed to pull himself together in just a few moments. He then shared the heartfelt message he had prepared for the loss:

“Ben wasn’t out here to become a social media star, but he became one just by being himself. The Rose Bowl named him, its chief happiness officer, and that’s exactly what he did. He made everyone happy. And he did it without even trying. He just wagged that tail. He nestled up against strangers like they were family. And that’s what they became.“

And just like a family of a million fans, everyone has joined Herbstreit in this tough moment of loss. They are mourning Ben just like he was their friend as well. A man’s best friend turned a nation’s friend, indeed.

It’s going to take climbing a mountain of emotional upheaval for Kirk and the fans to get over this tremendous loss to the sport of football, but Ben will never be forgotten. In honor of his memory, Kirk brought one of his other pets to the show, receiving a warm reception from the fans.

Kirk Herbstreit brings one of his other golden retrievers to the show

The tenure of a new Chief Happiness officer will begin, and his name is Peter. The four-legged friend has arrived to try and fill out the shoes of his late big brother, Ben.

Ben became the shining smile amidst the crowd of sadness. Even during the latest episode of College Gameday, the LSU crowd was swarming with posters and fans of Ben, expressing their feelings for the late golden retriever.

Gone are the days when Ben would quietly rest on the sidelines of the games while Herbstreit would conduct his interviews. Gone are the days when Ben would lovingly meet his fans just to receive their adorable pets. Rest in doggy heaven, Ben. Football lost its biggest smile today.