When Lee Corso appeared on live TV Saturday night, even the most seasoned college football fans had to smile. Standing on the field at Doak Campbell Stadium, beside his old No. 20 Florida State jersey, the 90-year-old legend looked every bit the icon who helped define the sport’s golden era on TV. For Kirk Herbstreit, seeing his longtime College GameDay partner back under the lights was more than nostalgia, it was personal.

On October 4, Awful Announcing posted a video of Lee Corso being honored at FSU with the caption, “Lee Corso is honored at Florida State. Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit offer commentary on their friend during the Miami-Florida State broadcast for ESPN on ABC. 🏈🎙️ #CFB” Kirk Herbstreit’s voice was filled with emotion as he said, “Great to see him back. Great to see the reception from the fans.” Across from him, Chris Fowler echoed the sentiment calling it a “wonderful moment” for “our dear friend Lee Corso, the Sunshine Scooter.” That nickname was who Corso was at his core, a burst of energy wrapped in Florida sunshine, long before headgear picks and mascot antics became his signature.

Long before Lee Corso was the animated face of College GameDay, he was Florida State’s Swiss Army knife. A QB, DB, and return man rolled into one. Back in the 1950s, he led the Seminoles in interceptions, rushing, and passing in separate seasons. He even held FSU’s career interceptions record until Deion Sanders came along. Not bad company for a guy whose TV persona often overshadows just how good he was on the field.

That connection came full circle on Saturday when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis presented Lee Corso with the state’s highest civilian honor- the Governor’s Medal of Freedom. “Coach Corso has the same number of career interceptions as Deion Sanders at Florida State, which is pretty cool,” DeSantis reminded everyone. “And on his final College GameDay appearance in Week 1 of this year, all of his picks were correct, including Florida State over Alabama.” Talk about precision.

As the Seminole crowd roared, Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler’s commentary felt like a eulogy in real time. Only this wasn’t an ending, it was a celebration. Lee Corso had retired from GameDay earlier this season, closing a chapter that began in 1987 when ESPN first rolled the dice on a traveling Saturday morning show. Back then, no one imagined it’d become the college football tradition. But with his “Not so fast, my friend!” charm, he made it a must-watch TV.

Lee Corso from the sidelines to the spotlight

After graduating from Florida State, Lee Corso never strayed far from the sidelines. He began as an assistant at Maryland, making history by recruiting Darryl Hill, the ACC’s first African American football player. From there, he went on to head coaching jobs at Louisville and Indiana, stacking decades of football insight before joining ESPN. When he first appeared on College GameDay in 1987, few realized they were watching the birth of a broadcasting icon.

Stroke or not, age or not, Lee Corso kept coming back with headgear in hand and a heart full of passion. His final record on GameDay is 287–144 in headgear picks. His real record is countless Saturdays made unforgettable for millions. “Lee Corso is college football,” Nick Saban said during ESPN’s tribute. “It’s hard to describe how much he’s meant to the game.”

For Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler, that meaning was clear in Tallahassee. As the Sunshine Scooter waved to the crowd, one truth echoed louder than the tomahawk chant. College football would be so different without Lee Corso.