The college football world is already counting the days. The dreaded moment is finally arriving as they bid farewell to Lee Corso, breaking the bond of almost 40 years. His impact extended beyond just entertainment. Even Nick Saban never wanted Corso to pick Alabama on College GameDay. He wanted his players to be the second favorite, given that praise from someone as legendary as Corso would have led his team to lose focus. Now that the analyst wraps his storied career, Saban’s daughter, Kristen carries a similar sense of respect during this farewell.

Talking about heartbreak? Kirk Herbstreit knows it best. The ESPN analyst poured his heart out paying his tribute during Corso’s farewell. And his eyes couldn’t hold back as tears streamed down. Seeing Herbstreit break down, Kristen, too, could no longer restrict her emotions. 

On August 22, College GameDay posted a clip of Herbstreit’s interview with the caption, “Thanks for everything, Coach 👏.” Corso’s desk mates spared their time to say a few words about their teammate, for whom they must be grateful to the universe for having crossed paths. “An incredible…(breaks down in tears)…honor and privilege to be with ya, to be your partner for all these years. There will be never be another Lee Corso…,” Herbstreit’s voice broke while speaking. The comment section was flooded with fans empathizing with Herbstreit. That’s where Kristen posted a crying GIF in the comments.

Her father got the privilege to share the podium with Corso for a short when the former Alabama head coach joined College GameDay after retirement. So, now that Corso will be gone, fans must be eager to know who carries on the most-loved Corso’s headgear pick tradition. Some might consider Saban to be continuing with the mascot pick.

The former Alabama head coach rejected it outright, “I hope not. It has been great for a lot of fans for a lot of years. I think the tradition of him putting the mascot helmet on at the end of every show is something that everybody looks forward to.” After all, Saban does not want to replace Corso, who started the tradition first on October 5, 1996, during the Ohio State vs. Penn State game. From the advent of GameDay in 1987, Corso has worn 430 mascot headgears.

As heartbreaking as it might sound, Corso will be donning his last headgear on Saturday, Aug. 30, in front of 100,000-plus fans at Ohio Stadium. While it will be tough for fans to cope with this retirement, Saban feels that it’s their duty to bid farewell to the legend with a happy face. As the former Alabama head coach shared, “He’s a great guy. He’s a really good coach and just a fantastic person to be around, and one of the ultimate professionals that anybody would ever have a chance to work with. He’s made such a great contribution for many, many years. We’re going to miss him. But you know, when you retire, people really should be happy. We’re very happy.” However, it will be difficult for Herbstreit to listen to Saban’s advice.

Kirk Herbstreit’s bond with Lee Corso is from mentor to father figure 

After all, his relationship with Corso goes far and beyond the camera, mic, and the podium. Herbstreit will be forever indebted to the legend for giving him a chance. Back in 1996, he was trying to get a break for the commentator’s role when he went for an audition in the ESPN office. And to Corso, Herbstreit was obviously like a random freshman, with no experience. But having an eye for talent, he knew Herbstreit would go a long way.

As later in an interview, Corso claimed,  “I knew, when I first met him, that he would be a star in television.” With this, Corso has had a notable influence on his life. So much so, Herbstreit recalled, “You know what people come up to me and say? ‘Thanks for what you do with Lee Corso, and I love your dogs.’ Those are the two things. It has nothing to do with football, nothing to do with X and Os.”

But not many know that Corso has been a father figure in Herbstreit’s life. On the Net Positive podcast, the ESPN analyst recalled a special moment he shared with the legend that he is going to carry with him forever. 

“We would go to a photoshoot or a commercial out in LA and be in the back of a car going to the shoot,” said Kirk Herbstreit.  “And I didn’t know him that well early, and I started talking to him about getting married. And then a year or two later, having kids, and my kids were premature by about 11-12 weeks, and they’re born two pounds, and I was talking to him about going through that as a young dad. And he listened, and he gave great information. It was like you were talking to Don Corleone, or it’s like petting his cat. He’s like listening, you’re pouring your heart out to him. And what I found was that over time, he almost became like a second father to me.” Now you can see why Herbstreit couldn’t hold back tears for Lee Corso.