Lee Corso speaks on the ESPN "College GameDay" set ahead of the 2024 Rose Bowl between Alabama and Michigan.

David Pollack wanted to make sure he belonged.

Not far removed from being a two-time SEC defensive player of the year at Georgia, he was the young guy among the group of veterans on ESPN’s "College GameDay" eager to show off his knowledge. He watched countless hours of tape – earning the nickname “Tape Guy” – so he’d be ready every Saturday morning to break down the day’s matchups. He was confident, ready to prove himself.

But across the stage was a man who completely changed Pollack’s thinking. He gave an insightful breakdown, but it was almost as if he didn’t pay attention to a single word Pollack said. When he was done talking, that man raised his No. 2 pencil with a smirk on his face and reminded the young analyst what the job was all about.

“It’s entertainment, sweetheart.”

The subtle dig resonated with Pollack. “You don't forget where you were when you heard certain things,” he told USA TODAY Sports.

It reminded him the job was about having fun. No one knew that better than the man who told him: Lee Corso. The epitome of amusement, Corso will hang up the mascot heads as the 90-year-old will have his final show in Week 1 of the 2025 season after 38 years as the star of ESPN’s college football pregame show.

"GameDay" has maintained its popularity largely – if not all of it – because of Corso. What started with him as a colorful former coach turned into a phenomenon when he put on the Brutus the Buckeye mascot headgear on his own head outside of Ohio Stadium on Oct. 5, 1996. It created a must-see segment, with the college football world eagerly awaiting every Saturday just before noon ET to see what mascot head, or prop, or live animal he would bring on stage to accompany his game selection.

“He's the reason why everybody watched,” Pollack said. “He created something that was unique and different that everybody wanted to be a part of and continue to grow.”

Relive Lee Corso's epic GameDay moments in our new book

It’s hard to fathom nearly four decades ago the show would turn into the spectacle it is today. Yet, only one person was crazy enough to imagine it. Of course, it was none other than the man himself.

“He would say someday people are going to pay us to come and bring "GameDay" to their place,” said veteran college sports writer Tony Barnhart, who was part of the show in late 1990s.

Not exactly paid to visit campuses, but Corso saw the vision and he became a larger-than-life personality in the process. Students, players, coaches and universities pleading their cases to get him on their campus. Celebrities eager and nervous to sit to his right and make their game picks. Corso wasn’t just part of "College GameDay" or college football. He simply was "College GameDay" and is college football.

From his interactions with people like Katy Perry, dressing like Ben Franklin, getting tackled by Bill Murray to the NSFW moment at Houston, there are countless moments Corso has made that will last a lifetime.

For as much praise he gets for his work, those who have worked with him applaud the person he was. Barnhart remembered meeting Corso after landing at an airport in Connecticut in 1997 to visit ESPN’s studios in Bristol. He was going to join the show, and familiarizing himself with his new co-worker, Corso asked Barnhart how he was going to get to ESPN. He replied a car was going to be sent to pick him up.

“He said, ‘No, kid, you're right with me,’” Barnhart said.

So, Barnhart got to ride with Corso, who gave his new colleague the ins and outs of working at ESPN and on the show. It really resonated with Barnhart, who figured the personality could have easily dismissed him as some newspaper guy. But Corso was so generous to him, and continued to be, always wanting to know about his family and teaching anything he could to Barnhart.

Pollack echoed Barnhart’s sentiment, believing Corso didn’t view himself above anyone else – unless it came to snacks. More often than not, Corso would find his way to the snack table in the production room and would scoop all of them into a leather briefcase Pollack joked was from the 1940s. He’d take as much as he could, with that signature smirk, before heading back to his hotel room.

It might have been the only time Corso was slightly selfish. Pollack said in the 12 years he was part of the show, the way he treated people was “unbelievable,” becoming the ultimate teammate. Whether it was for a commercial or the show, he doesn’t remember Corso ever saying no, consistently willing to perform even the wildest things.

Was he crazy? Maybe, but it could have just been how much he loved what he was doing. Despite suffering a stroke in 2009 and the COVID-19 pandemic slowing him down, it didn’t stop him from being the widely appreciated voice of college football.

“It was what he was born to do. Very, very few people find that thing that really lights their fire that pushes them to really go and do and live and Corso found that, man. He found that, and it was 'College GameDay',” Pollack said. “It wasn't a job to Corso. He made a bunch of money and he did all that, but I guarantee he would have done it for free. I have no doubt whatsoever he would have done it for free.

“Because he just loved every freaking second of it.”

Corso’s devotion to the sport is what makes him such an important figure. For as serious college football is with realignment, playoff changes and loads of money involved, it’s also one of the most comical sports there is. In times where it feels like there’s gloom, we are reminded how fun college football really is.

We have Corso to thank for that.

“Everybody understood who Lee Corso was and he is,” Barnhart said. “He identified with college football.”

Aug. 30 in Columbus, Ohio will be an emotional one. Yes, it’s an enormous setting with Texas facing Ohio State in the first No. 1 vs No. 2 season opening matchup in the history of the US LBM Coaches Poll.

But the spotlight will shine brightly on Corso one last time. It will be a farewell for generations of college football fans that started their Saturday mornings with his signature phrases and hijinks. Barnhart believes it’ll be hard to not get emotional watching Corso get his flowers, as Pollack expects plenty of tears to be shed.

“I expect him to be gracious, I expect him to be humble. I expect him to cry and be sad,” Pollack said. “But without a doubt, he'll be Corso.”

While the college football world will say goodbye, don’t think this will just be it. His spirit and love for the game and the things that make college football unique will live on. This may be Corso’s final show, but the end of his legacy?

Not so fast, my friend.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'What he was born to do': Former colleagues remember Lee Corso before retirement

Reporting by Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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