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Ohio State football player Zak Herbstreit, the son of long-time ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit, was released from the hospital after having been admitted with an undisclosed health concern, a school spokesman said on Friday.

The exact nature of Herbstreit's condition was not made clear, but his father said that the younger Herbstreit was dealing with a heart issue that took him and the family by surprise and will take three or four months to fully recover from.

"The last five or six days have been kind of a whirlwind," Kirk said on the Pat McAfee Show in an update on his son's condition. "He's been in the hospital with some issues with his heart. We've just been trying to keep up with that.

"He's in good spirits, he's home with us where his mom can take really good care of him," Herbstreit added. 

"This is just gonna be a long process to kind of see how his heart responds to some of the medications that he's on. This is a three or four month kinda thing to kinda see how it recovers. But the key is being patient and positive."

Herbstreit joined the Ohio State football program as a walk-on tight end and has been with the Buckeyes program for the past two seasons.

He is the third Herbstreit in as many generations to suit up in the scarlet and gray, following his father, Kirk from 1989-92, and his grandfather, Jim, from 1958-60.

"Buckeye Nation is with you," the football team's Twitter page said in response to the news.

"Praying for u my man and your entire family," Colorado coach Deion Sanders said after hearing the news. God bless u Kirk."

"Thinking of You Zak and sending prayers your way," said ESPN college football reporter Laura Rutledge.

(Herbstreit)


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