Jim Herbstreit, father of Kirk and former Ohio State captain, dies at 77

Herbstreit's father, Jim, was an Ohio State player and captain (seen here with Herbstreit in 1992). He later served as an assistant coach to Woody Hayes at Ohio State and Bo Schembechler at Miami University.

Herbstreit's father, Jim, was an Ohio State player and captain (seen here with Herbstreit in 1992). He later served as an assistant coach to Woody Hayes at Ohio State and Bo Schembechler at Miami University.

Jim Herbstreit, a captain on the 1960 Ohio State football team and father of ESPN personality Kirk Herbstreit, died Thursday, according to a report from the Columbus Dispatch.

Herbstreit played three years for Ohio State. Kirk, a Centerville High School graduate, later became a captain as a quarterback with the Buckeyes, before catching fame as a featured player on ESPN's Gameday college football coverage. They are one of three father-son duos to be captains in the history of Ohio State.

He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's a couple years ago and died suddenly this morning in Cleveland, according to Kirk in a statement to the Dispatch: "It's a tough day for my family and I."

A 1957 graduate of Reading High School, Herbstreit played running back and defensive back and became an assistant coach under Bo Schembechler at Miami University in 1963. He quit coaching to start a business after two years.

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