It was in Week 1 of college football when beloved Lee Corso bid adieu to his illustrious GameDay career. It was a tremendously tragic occasion since there would have been no one to say this signature “not so fast, my friend” line. ESPN dedicated a whole segment to him, and he appeared last in Columbus, Ohio, when Texas came to play their first season game. But now that the legendary broadcaster is away from GameDay, his life seems monotonous.

“Lousy, I hate it,” said Lee Corso to WESH 2 News. “I can’t watch College Game Day. I just can’t get used to it. I’m not working anymore. I used to fly all over, but it sucks.”

In an interview on 25th November, the 90-year-old legend was asked about his life without GameDay. Since it’s the first one out of college football for him, Corso admitted finding it difficult to adjust to life in his post-retirement. And why would it not? Along the line of his 40-year-old career in broadcasting, his voice, charisma, and that casual and electric picks are synonymous with college football. His legacy thus lives on.

Corso, through his iconic headgear, picks and punchy lines changed entirely how ESPN GameDay functioned. That was 1987 when Corso first sat with other co-hosts like Chris Fowler and pioneered the on-campus format of GameDay, which we see today. Under his tenure, GameDay became one of the most-watched shows in America, winning nine Emmys when Corso sat along with other hosts. All of it gave unparalleled recognition to the 90-year-old legend.

Right from calling Georgia’s mascot “ugly” and picking Bama’s Big Al to doing tug of war with Katy Perry. The legend always found something to entertain fans. In total, Corso made 431 headgear picks starting in 1996 with Ohio State’s mascot. It was quite fitting then, when his 431st pick came, Corso picked Brutus Buckeye and landed right on the money. The best part? The GameDay episode became the most-watched ever in CFB history, as 4.4 million viewers tuned in to watch it. But now that Corso has finally called it a day, he gave current GameDay host Pat McAfee a fitting task.

Lee Corso announces major role for GameDay host, Pat McAfee

The current GameDay panel might not have Corso anymore. But it sure hasn’t lost its charm a bit. New faces like Pat McAfee and Nick Saban have come to grace it, and they bring their own varied flavors to it. McAfee has taken that ‘electric guy’ role in place of Corso and is even doing those headgear picks sometimes. The best part? He has the blessings of none other than the legend himself.

When Miami hosted Florida this year, GameDay was in town. As usual, Pat McAfee was entertaining with his unrelenting charisma and showmanship. In the process, he picked Miami as his pick. “I think the U is back. Give me the Hurricanes,” screamed McAfee. Finally, when he sat down after the game and talked to Corso on his phone, the legend was elated by McAfee’s performance. “It was great, and I really enjoyed it. I wanted to let you know that I passed the torch on to a great guy,” said Corso.

Of course, McAfee is the right guy for Corso’s replacement. For starters, if someone can make a coach like Saban in a merry mood every time he speaks, that speaks a lot about the talent the man has. Not to mention, McAfee has his kicking contest during GameDay and gives out six-figure prizes from his own pocket. A great heart? check. So, if Corso’s is the legacy GameDay has created. Pat McAfee is the future; ESPN should always keep him close at any cost.

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