Herbstreit bucks native Ohio

Kirk Herbstreit should have been a local boy made good for life in Columbus , where the Centerville , Ohio , native followed his father as a captain of the Ohio State football team, then settled to raise a family there.

But in March the ESPN analyst said he was moving to the Nashville area with his wife and four young sons, citing in part a minority of Ohio State fans who failed to appreciate his job requires objectivity, even when it comes to the Buckeyes.

Since then, Herbstreit said he has heard from many Ohio State supporters who have apologized to him for fellow fans “chasing you away.’’

But Herbstreit, speaking after a luncheon last week during a promotional visit to Manhattan, said the story has “been blown out of proportion’’ and that he had been considering a move for several years.

Still, he acknowledged the behavior of some fans contributed to the decision.

“To be honest, 90 to 95 percent of fans are great and supportive of everything about Ohio State and appreciate the work I do,’’ he said. “There is that radical group out there that can’t stand you when you don’t say everything great about Ohio State .

“The fact almost everybody in Columbus knows exactly where we lived and they know my schedule and when I’m home, when I’m gone, I think it was probably more peace of mind than anything and just being able to be in a place where the safety of my family is not in question.’’