ESPN football analyst and Centerville native Kirk Herbstreit announced that his golden retriever Ben, who became a fixture at college football stadiums across the country, has died.
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Herbstreit made the heartbreaking announcement on social media on Thursday saying he was put down after battling cancer.
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“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 Bens organs and there was nothing left we could do,” Herbstreit wrote. “We had to let him go.”
The news brought on a flood of tributes online, with the phrase “RIP Ben” trending on X.
Herbstreit said Ben was one of a kind, calling him “smart-loving-gentle-patient-inquisitive-and welcoming to all.”
“He was with me more than anyone at home and traveling with me for work. Such an easy going companion,” he wrote.
Ben became a fixture in sports, accompanying Herbstreit to “College GameDay” and “Thursday Night Football.” He was known to make his way onto the field and into the broadcast booth, with several universities making special credentials for him.
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 Bens organs and there was nothing left we could do-we had to let him go. I’ve had dogs my whole life but Ben was 1 on… pic.twitter.com/jDvPTbNv2M
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) November 7, 2024
College football teams, such as the Texas Longhorns and Arkansas Razorbacks, took to social media to share their condolences.
“We’re so lucky we got to meet you, Ben,” the Longhorns shared on social media, sharing a video of Ben meeting their mascot Bevo.
we’re so lucky we got to meet you, Ben 🫶🤘#HookEm | @KirkHerbstreit pic.twitter.com/LqwZmuUGDa
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) November 7, 2024
The official X account for the Rose Bowl Game remembered Ben, who served as their “Chief Happiness Officer” last year.
“Kirk, thank you for allowing Ben to be a part of our lives. We hope he enjoyed being our Chief Happiness Officer last year. He brought joy and happiness to everyone he met,” the account wrote.
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