ESPN College football analyst Kirk Herbstreit announced on Thursday that his loyal Golden Retriever, Ben Herbstreit, passed away at the age of 10 after a fight with cancer.
Ben had become college football's unofficial mascot thanks to the dog's lovable and kind demeanor. Kirk and Ben brought fans immense joy and toured the nation together before the beloved pet's death.
“This is really hard to write but so many of you have loved and cared about Ben that I wanted to let you know. We found out today the cancer had spread throughout Ben's organs and there was nothing left we could do – we had to let him go,” Kirk said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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“I’ve had dogs my whole life but Ben was 1 on 1. He was smart-loving-gentle-patient-inquisitive and welcoming to all. Always a big smile and a soft tail wag. He and I could communicate..he and I understood each other and had each others backs. He was with me more than anyone at home and traveling with me for work. Such an easygoing companion. Hard day – but he will live within all of us forever. God please bless his majestic soul and thank you for putting him in my life for the last 10 years-a true blessing. Love you Ben.”
When College GameDay visited Austin for Texas football's game vs. Georgia, Kirk brought Ben along for the ride. The two visited Canes and the canine even met the Longhorns' live mascot Bevo, albeit from a distance.
