Kirk Herbstreit announces the death of his dog Ben, popular for his great football broadcasts

“I’ve had dogs my whole life, but Ben was one of them,” Herbstreit said. “He was smart, loving, gentle, patient, curious and hospitable to all. Always a big smile and a gentle wag of the tail.”

Ben underwent surgery in late July to remove two cancerous tumors on his spleen and intestines, Herbstreit said on X in September. He said that while it was a “challenging offseason for Ben,” the dog improved in the weeks following his Surgery “recovered incredibly”.

“Just so grateful that he's feeling better and can travel with me,” Herbstreit said on X at the time. “Honestly, I think being outside and seeing people on the street really helps his spirit and that he has something to look forward to.”

On Oct. 23, Ben received a second chemo injection, but afterward he became weaker and could no longer move his back legs, Herbstreit wrote on X on Monday. Herbstreit took him to a holistic doctor, where he was given IV vitamin C for three days, that would hopefully “flush the toxins from his body and give him a fighting chance.”

Unfortunately, this was not the case and Herbstreit had to “let him go”.

“I am so grateful for ALL the love that has been shown to him over the last few years. One of the hardest things I've been through in my life,” Herbstreit wrote on X on Monday. “Ben is my best friend and companion. I love him with all my heart.”

Ben earned multiple NFL and college football degrees this season following his broadcast-busting antics. The Atlanta Falcons named Ben a wide retriever for a Thursday Night Football game in Week 5, while the Miami Dolphins named him Chief Happiness Officer of Football in Week 2.