So, I was kicking back the other day, watching some game highlights, and Kirk Herbstreit was doing his thing, breaking down plays like he always does. You know, really sharp analysis. And it just hit me, kind of out of the blue – did this guy actually play in the NFL? I mean, he talks with such authority, sounds like someone who’s been in the trenches.
For the longest time, I honestly just sort of assumed he had. Maybe not a Hall of Famer, but I figured he must have at least had a cup of coffee in the league, you know? Been a backup QB somewhere, something like that. It just seemed to fit the profile.
My Digging Process
It started bugging me, so I decided to do a little digging myself. Didn’t just want the quick answer, I wanted to see the story. Fired up my old laptop.
- First, I remembered he played college ball, pretty sure it was Ohio State. So, I started there. Went to their athletics site, poked around the historical roster sections. Took a bit of clicking, those old archives can be clunky.
- Found him alright. Kirk Herbstreit, QB. Saw he was even a captain his senior year back in ’92. Okay, so standout college player, check.
- Then, I thought, “Alright, college confirmed, now for the pros.” I tried searching some NFL draft history sites I use sometimes. Looked through the drafts from around when he would have graduated. Scanned the QB lists. Didn’t see his name pop up.
- Okay, maybe undrafted free agent? That happens all the time. So, I shifted my search terms. Started looking for things like “Kirk Herbstreit NFL tryout” or “Herbstreit training camp”.
The Answer I Found
After scrolling through a few articles and forum discussions from way back, the picture became clear. Nope. Kirk Herbstreit never actually played in the NFL.
Turns out, while he was a solid quarterback for the Buckeyes and an MVP his senior year, he didn’t get drafted. And from everything I could gather, he didn’t make an active NFL roster after college either. He went straight into the broadcasting side of things pretty quickly after his college career ended.
It was kind of interesting, actually. You figure a guy that knowledgeable must have played professionally. But he built his expertise through his college playing days and then just grinding it out in the broadcasting world, starting small and working his way up to ESPN’s top crew. Kinda cool, really. Doesn’t change my opinion of his commentary – the guy clearly knows football inside and out, whether he played on Sundays or not. Just cleared up a little question I had floating around in my head.
