Kirk Herbstreit Was Blown Away By One Message After Loss of Beloved Dog

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Kirk Herbstreit is a well-known name in the sports world and an analyst for ESPN's "College GameDay" as well as for Amazon Prime's "Thursday Night Football."

In the 2024 college football season, Herbstreit's golden retriever, Ben, went viral and became a star. Unfortunately, Ben was diagnosed with cancer and passed away during the season, leaving a big loss for the Herbstreit family and others who knew Ben.

Recently,Herbstreit spoke to Men's Journal about a new show called "Fueled By" from Purina Pro Plan, which focuses on the relationship between athletes and their dogs.

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During the interview, Herbstreit spoke about the "overwhelming" support he received during the end of Ben's life, and he even mentioned he got a message from the president of the United States.

"To see that kind of response, it was really hard to describe how much that meant to me and my family to feel that, and even the President of the United States reached out to him, which blew my mind. It was cool, it was neat to see that he touched that many people," Herbstreit said.

Then-President Joe Biden sent Herbstreit a message, and he posted it on his X account last December.

So, it was a memorable moment for Herbstreit and showed just how special a dog Ben is.

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The "Fueled By" series features Herbstreit as the host, and it alsoincludes athletes such as George Kittle, Rose Lavelle and Sophia Wilson, showing their relationships with their dogs.

"It's a chance to see that hard-working elite athletes have the passion and relationship with their dogs that we all have," Herbstreit said. "I think we all have those relationships with our dogs that we look forward to, and we look forward to seeing them and being with them and spending time with them."

After all, Herbstreit knows exactly what it feels like to have a close relationship with your dog.

Related: Kirk Herbstreit’s Story About Beloved Dog and Al Michaels Says It All

Kirk Herbstreit Was Blown Away By One Message After Loss of Beloved Dog first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 27, 2025