Kirk Herbstreit recently met with his former longtime "College GameDay" co-host Lee Corso, describing the encounter as emotional and noting that Corso, 91, is experiencing "a lot of physical ailments."
Herbstreit recounted the meeting to US Magazine, sharing that Corso, despite his health struggles, remains cognitively sharp and engaged with football. "His eyes are sharp. He's dialed in. He's just going through some stuff that makes it tough on him," Herbstreit said. "But he knows about teams. He knows about players. He's got opinions. I just sat there and listened and loved hearing him talk about that."
Corso retired from "College GameDay" in August following the first show of the season, marking the first time since 1986 that he was not featured on the program's initial broadcast. Herbstreit, who joined the show in 1996, has maintained a three-decade-long relationship with Corso.
The reunion took place in Orlando after Corso learned Herbstreit would be in the area and reached out to arrange a meeting. Herbstreit noted that Corso insisted on driving approximately 30 minutes to meet him, even traveling through a thunderstorm. "By the time I landed, there he is. We hugged, embraced. He was emotional because we haven't seen each other in a while," Herbstreit shared. "When he cried, it made me cry. Because he's my guy. We were able to hang out for probably 20 or 30 minutes and just kind of get caught up."
Despite the physical challenges, Herbstreit emphasized Corso's mental acuity. "He’s got a lot of physical ailments that he’s been dealing with, but his mind is incredible," Herbstreit stated. He added that Corso feels the widespread affection from fans, saying, "He knows that everybody loves him, everybody misses him. He feels that love, so it's always good to see him."