Kirk Herbstreit Reveals Mental Health Battles at Ohio State: 'Isn't That Crazy?'

Former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Kirk Herbstreit is one of the most well-recognized people in current sports media, but even he's battled through some trying times.
In fact, the player-turned-broadcaster admitted in a recent interview with The Mental Game that he went to therapy while at Ohio State in the early 90s. At that time, support for athletes with mental health issues wasn't as normalized, leading Herbstreit to become fearful that he'd be judged by his peers or teammates.
"I ended up going to this doctor," Herbstreit said. "The courage it took in 1990...91, to go into his office - which was at Ohio Stadium, they gave him a little nook - I'll never forget walking from my
apartment looking around my shoulder the entire time wondering if anybody saw me and then knocking on his door. Even then I'd still be kind of looking around."
Some fans tend to forget that college athletes are still young adults trying to find their way in the world. When it comes to football players in particular, the pressure to perform on a massive stage is often comparable to the professional level -- even before the days of NIL.
Current Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson recently opened up about his struggles with mental health, something that Herbstreit didn't feel he had the luxury of doing during his time in college.
"Isn't that crazy, that you're so afraid?" Herbstreit asked rhetorically. "I was like 20 or 21 years old and I didn't want people to make fun of me - just to be honest. I didn't want people to think I was weak because the way we're trained. But at least I had the courage to knock on his door."
Herbstreit finished his college career having played in 38 games while going 183 of 317 passing for 2,263 yards, five touchdowns and 11 interceptions.