Kirk Herbstreit is the voice of college football. A former Centerville High School and Ohio State University Quarterback, Kirk has been the lead Analyst for ESPN’s College Gameday since 1996. He calls the biggest games in college football on Saturday nights, and he broadcasts the college National Championship. Beyond college football, Kirk is also the lead analyst for Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video. Kirk has been nominated for 19 Sports Emmy Awards and has won 5 times. This conversation was recorded in front of about 300 people in Centerville, Ohio. Kirk’s dog Peter was with us on stage when he wasn’t wandering around in the audience.

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The Learning Leader Show

  • Kirk’s emotional moment after Ohio State’s national championship was about his authentic connection to Coach Day, his son (who was on the team), and all the players. “I try so hard to be impartial. I try so hard to be just objective and fair. It’s almost like the culmination of just a release.”
    • Showing authentic emotion and humanity makes leaders more relatable and trustworthy, not weaker.
  • Bob Gregg and Ron Ullery’s impact: “They didn’t tear your knees out, but they just made sure as a 16, 17, 18-year-old that you knew this ain’t about you. It’s about us.” This foundation created a work ethic that translates across all of life.
  • The most prepared broadcaster in the world – “When I started in 1996 on college game day, unless you were a Big 10 fan, you had no idea who I was. So my idea of trying to build my brand was they’re gonna know me from my work ethic.”
  • “They’re gonna know me from my work ethic. They’re gonna know me like, damn, I don’t know who that dude is, but he seems to know what he’s talking about.”
    • “I prepare a hundred percent, and I use 20% for all three shows.” Over-preparation creates confidence and the ability to handle any direction conversations might go.
    • When you’re not the most naturally gifted, becoming the most prepared person in the room creates a competitive advantage.
  • High School Football Builds Life Skills – “I’m such an advocate for high school football because of my own experience… It’s about what these guys are doing… simple old school values, like hard work and perseverance and facing adversity.”
  • “I could choose to be embarrassed of who I was on national TV, or choose to have a bit of a chip on my shoulder. And I was kind of a chip on my shoulder guy my whole life.”
    • Feeling underestimated can fuel extraordinary preparation and performance when channeled constructively.
  • Deal with Imposter Syndrome when he started broadcasting NFL games for Amazon on Thursday nights: “I didn’t even go to an NFL camp, and here I am calling NFL Games as the expert game analyst. And so, and I’m working with freaking Al Michaels.”
    • “I don’t deserve your respect in my brain until I earn it.”
  • College Football’s Current Crisis – “The players went from our era. You had no say to now they have all to say… It’s like the world is upside down right now when it comes to that aspect of it.”
  • “Who fixes it? The NCAA doesn’t fix it… No one’s worried about the global view of the sport. They’re worried about their region… who’s in charge? No one’s the boss.”
    • “They’re great players, but they’re a dime a dozen. Like you’re on a conveyor belt as a player. There’s other players coming right behind you.”
  • Kirk supports true name, image, likeness marketing but opposes pay-for-play: “I am a fan of, if Jeremiah Smith becomes Jeremiah Smith after he gets there… if he can make money in marketing… But not, a guy is over at Bowling Green… and LSU needs a left guard and they’re just like, Hey, how much does it take?”
  • “These coaches are a little bit hesitant on how hard they’re gonna be on these guys because they don’t wanna believe. Imagine being a coach and you’re worried about, is this guy gonna leave if I really do what I want to do with him?”
  • Mental Health Through Faith – “For me, it’s my faith… daily devotional prayer and really trying to connect helps me… having very honest conversation with family and friends and opening up.”
  • The Value of Chosen Hardship – My perspective: “I think you gotta keep doing that stuff… choose to do really hard things every day to prove to myself that I can keep doing hard things so that when adversity strikes, I’m prepared.”
  • Generational Empathy – “This generation, I can’t imagine going through what they go through, whether it’s Snapchat and middle school… just everybody being in your business and everything online.”
  • The Lee Corso Legacy – “He was hot takes before we knew what Hot Takes were… our relationship really changed was off air… he was a really good listener… like Yoda or like Don Corleone.”
    • The best mentoring relationships evolve from one-directional learning to mutual care and support.
  • The Lunatic Fringe – “There’s 90% of Ohio State fans that whether they win or they lose, they’re proud of ’em… every fan base has that 10% that we’re all embarrassed of.”
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Resources:

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