WATCH: Ben Herbstreit's heartfelt tribute video on ESPN GameDay |
ESPN College GameDay personality Kirk Herbstreit broke down in tears on Saturday morning talking about the passing of his beloved golden retriever, Ben who was put down after a battle with cancer on Thursday.
Ben was a celebrity around college football as Kirk would bring him on the road so they could spend some quality time together covering sports. "Dogs are known as man's best friend. But what do you call a dog that becomes a nation's best friend?" Herbstreit narrated in the following video. "You call him, 'Ben.' I'll be honest with you, when I first started bringing Ben on the road, it was for me. I needed a travel companion. Hotel rooms can sometimes feel like islands of solitude. His warm presence became my anchor to home, making my journeys feel less like wandering and more like belonging. "When I was working in a hotel room or a broadcast booth, on the 'College GameDay' set, reaching down and feeling that fur at my feet, made me feel like I was home. "Ben wasn't out here to become a social media star, but he became one just by being himself," Herbstreit said. "The Rose Bowl named him its "chief happiness officer." And that's exactly what he did. He made everyone happy. He did it without even trying. He just wagged that tail or nestled up against strangers like they were family. And that's what they became. "On planes, in hotel lobbies, on the beach or in the mountains, it did not matter if you were a college student, a movie star, a national championship quarterback or even a state governor. Ben didn't care who you were. Everyone deserved his love. I think we can all learn from that. At a time when everything is aimed to divide us, our love of football unites us every weekend. "What I experienced with Ben was that and so much more. A dog's only flaw as a species is they don't live long enough. But the warmth they give us, that never goes away. So neither will Ben. This man's best friend who became America's best friend." Check out the full video below: The legacy of Ben Herbstreit. pic.twitter.com/Rkbjzf5hPj The outpouring of Ben Herbstreit tributes at today's @CollegeGameDay is really special. Some of the signs in Baton Rouge this morning at @LSU.
📸 via @ESPNImages 🐶❤️ pic.twitter.com/wxAFWCXqly
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