38 years of broadcasting career. Three decades of picking the headgear. For Lee Corso and college football fans, those iconic 400 headgear picks passed in the blink of an eye. From Corso picking his OSU’s mascot head in 1996 to coining his epochal “not so fast, my friend” phrase, Corso became a living legend for CFB fans. Now, in his late 80s and in the twilight of his broadcasting career, Corso is continuing to give us those ‘throwback‘ moments again. And guess what? Will Howard couldn’t control his emotions, seeing the saga unfold.
Just like every great story must come to an end, Lee Corso’s enduring career will end on College Gameday in Week 1 in Columbus, Ohio. But before that happens, ESPN has come out with a full-fledged program to honor the legend and remember his unforgettable moments. The plan initially was to give a tribute to him by none other than Pat McAfee and Kirk Herbstreit, followed by a video tribute at the ESPYs. But when the legend actually came on stage and began to reminisce about his career, emotions poured out.
Just as Pat McAfee announced, “Welcome, our coach Lee Corso,” the crowd erupted in thundering applause as Corso made his appearance at the 2025 ESPYs. And as he walked to the podium to give his speech, the voices of other announcers became background noise. Corso, after hugging Kirk Herbstreit, straight up started recounting his moments and the legacy he achieved in his career and his life. “I want to thank ESPN for this tribute and the opportunity to do a job that I’ve loved for 38 years. My goal on TV was to bring a smile to everybody’s face. I hope I have done that,” said Corso. But this wasn’t the best part.
Corso thanked his better half for supporting him throughout his life and recounted his long-lasting marriage, which stood almost 7 decades strong. “My wife Betsy and I have been married for 69 years. And I just wanted to thank her for loving me and allowing me to love her for all those years,” said Corso. And this was the moment when the camera turned to none other than Will Howard, who was seen sitting with his girlfriend as he tried to control his visible emotions. Undoubtedly, anyone would have felt it at that moment.
Sep 7, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins (1) celebrates with quarterback Will Howard (18) after scoring a touchdown against the Western Michigan Broncos during the first half at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-Imagn Images
Corso married his wife, Betsy Youngblood, back in 1957, who has largely been away from the spotlight that Corso always invited. But in those shadows, Betsy played a critical role in helping Corso shape his career and was with him, supporting him when he suffered a stroke in 2009, which temporarily impeded the announcer’s career. All in all, Corso’s 7-decade-long marriage is a testament to the love and bond between the two, and these are the things that undoubtedly need to be celebrated.
ESPN President opens up on Lee Corso’s retirement
Lee Corso will turn 90 in August and will enter the press box in his last game day announcement. It’s a fitting moment for him as he hands over the baton to others like McAfee at a time when college football itself is going through a metamorphosis. For a purist like him, it might not be easy to see the landscape change with the House vs. NCAA settlement and the NIL landscape booming rapidly. But that’s what time does to everything. If anything, he deserved a fitting tribute, and that’s exactly what ESPN’s president echoed.
“This is a unique opportunity we have to weave him into the evening and really begin the process of sending him off with full honors. To get him there in person to acknowledge all of his contributions and what he’s meant to both the company and sports, but more importantly, the fans, we just think it’s a fitting way to kick off his departure,” said ESPN president Burke Magnus.
Corso has been a resilient figure in his 38 years of announcing college football. Even after suffering a stroke in 2009, the man made a comeback and gave us iconic moments like his 2019 pick of LSU over Alabama. As for the 2019 LSU team? It’s probably the best in CFB history, and Corso donning the Tiger head in that game showed just how visionary the man was even in his final announcing years.
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