Kirk Herbstreit - Playing Career and Subsequent Activities in Ohio

Playing Career and Subsequent Activities in Ohio

Herbstreit graduated from Centerville High School in Centerville, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton. In his high school quarterbacking days, he was the Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior for Centerville. He also was a standout baseball player.

Herbstreit was the first player to commit to the Ohio State Buckeyes after the hiring of John Cooper as head coach in 1988. Kirk was a four-year letter winner as a quarterback at Ohio State University from 1989 to 1993. After waiting his turn as a Buckeye starter behind Greg Frey and Kent Graham, Herbstreit finally led the team as a senior in 1992. That year he was a co-captain (along with linebacker Steve Tovar) and was voted team MVP. Herbstreit passed for 1,904 yards that season, including four 200+ yard games, before losing to the Georgia Bulldogs in the Florida Citrus Bowl. As a college quarterback, Herbstreit had held the Ohio State record for pass completions in the rivalry game against Michigan. He completed 28 passes for 271 yards in a 13-13 tie against arch-rival University of Michigan in 1992.

Herbstreit's father, Jim Herbstreit, had been a co-captain (along with offensive tackle Jim Tyrer) of the 1960 Ohio State team, and was later an assistant coach at Ohio State under Woody Hayes. When Kirk Herbstreit was named co-captain in 1992, the two became only the second father-and-son duo to have each been Ohio State captains. (James and Jeff Davidson were the first in 1989; Pepper and Dionte Johnson became the third in 2007.) Herbstreit graduated from Ohio State in 1993 with a degree in Business Administration. He currently lives in Franklin, TN, with his wife and four boys. He also is known for a 2009 case in which he sued the IRS for changing an implied policy of allowing deductions for house donations to the Fire Department for training purposes.

Herbstreit is actively involved in multiple charities including the 2012 Buckeye Cruise for Cancer and The Make A Wish Foundation Ultimate Sports Auction.

He has lent his name to the Kirk Herbstreit National Kickoff Classic in Columbus, Ohio, and Arlington, Texas. According to the website, the Kickoff Classic "pits high school teams from the states of Ohio and Texas against prep football powerhouses from across the nation" over the Labor Day weekend. The games in Ohio are usually held at Ohio Stadium, while the games in Texas are held at Cowboys Stadium.