Charissa Thompson honors Kirk Herbstreit’s golden retriever Ben

On By Littum

The “Thursday Night Football” crew mourned the loss of Kirk Herbstreit’s beloved dog, Ben, with host Charissa Thompson paying tribute on the broadcast ahead of a matchup between the Ravens and Bengals.

Herbstreit, who serves as an analyst on the Prime Video broadcast and for college football on ESPN, announced that Ben had to be euthanized after a battle with cancer Thursday afternoon.

“We want to share our deepest condolences with our teammate Kirk Herbstreit on the passing of his beloved dog, Ben. We all loved seeing Ben here every single week. He was a big part of the ‘TNF’ family and he will will be sorely missed,” said Thompson.

The beloved golden retriever had earned a special place in football fans’ hearts when he traveled with Herbstreit on private jets to matches where he worked.

ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit and his dog Ben watch players warm up before the start of an NCAA college football game between Tennessee and Arkansas, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Fayetteville, Ark. AP
Kirk Herbstreit and his beloved dog Ben, who passed away this week. Kirk Herbstreit/Instagram

Ben could regularly be seen on the broadcast set wagging his tail and wearing a big smile, often getting more attention on the football sidelines than Herbstreit.

Teams often issued Ben with his own credentials University of Texas calls him “the golden receiver coach” on his passport to a game on October 19 last month at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

Charissa Thompson paid tribute to Ben on Thursday’s Prime Video broadcast. AP

Ben had one viral moment earlier this fall when he wandered into the pregame show for the LSU-USC game.

Herbstreit revealed earlier this week that Ben had undergone chemotherapy treatments but his condition worsened.

Stream the game live Thursday night on Amazon Prime Video

Ben, ESPN commentator Kirk Herbstreit’s dog, lies on the field before the game between the Oklahoma Sooners and Tennessee Volunteers at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Kevin Jairaj-Imagn pictures

In the emotional announcement Thursday, Herbstreit called Ben “1 (of) 1” and in a separate post expressed gratitude for the support.

“I am truly overwhelmed by how many people he touched – and from the bottom of my heart thank you for sending your best wishes and telling me how much you loved him,” he wrote.

Other members of the Herbstreit clan posted their memories of Ben, with son Jake, a former walk-on safety at Clemson, posting a video of college football fans cheering on his late pet.

“This is such a sweet video from our time in Texas a few weeks ago,” he wrote. “The audience reaction makes me smile every time. I’m glad so many of you have met Benny through your screens and on campuses across the country. He was my best friend. I’m so grateful that I got to be with him so much until the end.

“I love you, Ben. Rest in peace, puppy.”