“Dear Kirk, I was so sorry to hear about the loss of your beloved dog, Ben. Ben brought so much comfort and unconditional love to millions of Americans across our Nation.” The message for Kirk Herbstreit, typed on crisp white stationery bearing the seal of “The White House, Washington,”  came signed by none other than former President Joe Biden. It’s undoubtedly a rare feat when you get a personal note signed by the president himself. Well, the passing of Ben, Kirk’s beloved, wasn’t an ordinary moment either. Ben’s passing sparked an outpouring of love from the NFL and CFB communities alike. For Herbstreit, however, it was about losing a piece of his heart. But he could still take pride in the influence that Ben garnered in his life. Despite that, the void is not easy to fill.

The aftermath of Ben’s passing wasn’t smooth for Kirk. He described it to be “overwhelming” and “tough”. But the announcer gradually found support as his 16-month-old companion, Peter, began to ease that ache. We saw Peter roaming all around the press box whenever Kirk made his appearances for college game days. For instance, in last year’s Rose Bowl, Peter got the VIP treatment as he earned the title, “Director of Snuggles”. But guess what? Peter has a backup now.

The announcer took to X as he introduced the world to Peter’s half-brother, Beau. “He’s 15 weeks. Learning every day. He’s a natural alpha. Gonna be interesting as he learns and grows where he fits in with the boys. Peter took over for Ben and assumed the alpha role. Mitch and Theo are more laid back. Peter may have his hands full with Beau when he gets older. They’ll figure it out.”

Peter currently leads the pack and surely dons the role of the ‘alpha’ perfectly. But Beau? Well, the little pup is learning from the best and also from Kirk’s other dogs, Theo and Mitch. We regularly see sneak peeks of the furry folks on Kirk’s IG and X accounts. And the latest update? An adorable video of little Beau stealing hearts and screen time.

The ESPN college game day announcer posted a video where we can see Beau curiously looking towards his companions, Peter and Theo. The little guy has a snug look on his face as if he’s asking Kirk himself, “Dad, what are they doing over there?”. As for Kirk? Well, he provided the viewers with just the thing Beau is asking about. “Beau watching them with a very curious look on his face. Think I’ll look from here”. He’s like a sponge, learning so much every day from his new older-wiser brothers. Fun to watch. The older boys teach him way more than I do.“. Mind you, there is a caution here too.

That is, Beau might steal the spotlight from Peter’s fame with his cuteness. For now, however, Peter is still the favorite of CFB fans as his fan base transcends rivalries, schools, and even sports. It’s evident from the fact that we saw Peter’s presence in several high-profile games last year. His final appearance? It culminated in seeing Kirk’s alma mater lift the national trophy in the final game.

Kirk Herbstreit clears the air on Peter’s absence as fans get worried

We all saw Kirk in the NFL draft sharing the podium with the legendary Nick Saban at Green Bay, Wisconsin. But fans that day noticed someone missing from Kirk’s usual side and wondered on social media about the absence. Well, it was undoubtedly Kirk’s ‘alpha‘ companion, Peter, whose no-show sparked curiosity and forced Kirk to finally clear the air.

Kirk soon addressed the buzz on X, writing, “A lot of people asked me where Peter was last night. He stayed at the hotel during the draft, but we had an awesome walk over to Lambeau yesterday morning. Thank you, Green Bay, for an INCREDIBLE experience last night. No surprise- you all were exceptional hosts, and I know that will continue over the next 2 days. Enjoy!“.

Alongside the above message, he posted an adorable picture of the furry companion sitting in front of an empty Lambeau Field, where the NFL draft was organized. The incident alone shows the level of ‘pull’ that Peter carries in the hearts and minds of fans. So it’s safe to assume that for now, no one, not even the little Beau, would be dethroning Peter. However, don’t be surprised if both brothers make a joint appearance in the next college football season.