Kirk Herbstreit was “really honored” to receive a heartfelt letter from President Joe Biden following the death of his beloved dog Ben last month.
In a post shared Wednesday on X, the “College GameDay” analyst uploaded an image of the personal note he received from Biden, who recognized the “comfort and unconditional love” Ben brought to “millions of Americans across our Nation.”
“Politics aside-REALLY honored to receive this personal note from @POTUS sharing his appreciation and compassion for the loss of our beloved Ben,” Herbstreit, 55, shared.
“I can only hope that Ben knows how many people he touched.”
In the letter, dated Nov. 22, Biden offered his condolences and expressed that he knows what Herbstreit is going through.
“I know what it is like to lose a beloved pet, and I hope you can find some comfort in cherishing the beautiful memories you shared with Ben,” Biden wrote.
Before closing the memo with his signature, Biden remarked of Ben: “He was a good boy.”
Ben joined Herbstreit on the road as part of the analyst’s “Thursday Night Football” and “College GameDay” duties for Amazon and ESPN, respectively.
Ben became a fan favorite and often made appearances on the field and on broadcasts.
Herbstreit spoke about Ben’s health in a September post on X, sharing his four-legged companion underwent “major surgery in late July to remove 2 masses on his spleen and intestine. Both cancerous.”
Ben had been diagnosed with leukemia in March.
“Been a challenging offseason for Ben but he has had an incredible recovery in the last few weeks. Just so thankful he’s feeling better and able to travel with me. Honestly I think being out and seeing people on the road really helps his spirit and gives him something to look forward to,” Herbstreit told a follower.
Herbstreit provided a heartbreaking update on Ben’s progress in early November, revealing he had been “getting worse and worse” following a second “chemo injection” on Oct. 23.
Herbstreit confirmed on Nov. 7 that Ben had sadly passed away.
“This is really hard to write but so many of you have loved and cared about Ben that I wanted to let you know. We found out today the cancer had spread throughout Bens organs and there was nothing left we could do-we had to let him go,” Herbstreit penned in an emotional social media post.
“I’ve had dogs my whole life but Ben was 1 on 1. He was smart-loving-gentle-patient-inquisitive-and welcoming to all. Always a big smile and a soft tail wag. He and I could communicate..he and I understood each other and had each others backs. He was with me more than anyone at home and traveling with me for work. Such an easy going companion. Hard day-but he will live within all of us forever. God please bless his majestic soul and thank you for putting him in my life for the last 10 years-a true blessing. Love you Ben.”
Herbstreit and his family have received an outpouring of support following Ben’s passing, with “College GameDay” putting together a touching tribute to Ben days later.
“Really wanted to thank all of you for the avalanche of love and support you’ve shown Ben,” Herbstreit posted on X at the time. “It gives me and my family such comfort knowing how he impacted so many peoples lives around the country. He was a beautiful and loving soul.”
Herbstreit’s pup, Peter, has joined him on the road in recent weeks.
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