CFB legend Lee Corso breaks down in tears as hometown arranges perfect tribute before his final headgear pick at GameDay station

College football legend Lee Corso was honored by his hometown of Lake Mary ahead of his final headgear pick at ESPN’s College GameDay. In a touching tribute, the Seminole County Board of County Commissioners declared Aug. 26, 2025, as Lee Corso Day in Seminole County.

The 90-year-old veteran broadcaster broke down in tears and appreciated the people of the county. He said in an interview with the local media (0:50):

“I’m 90 years old and I don’t know how long I got. And I want the people to know here that I’ve been all over the place, but there’s no place like Lake Mary and Seminole County, and it means so much to me, the people who think and say nice things.”

Lee Corso joined ESPN in 1987 to become a part of its College GameDay crew. Then, in 1996, he started his famous headgear ritual, where he donned the mascot’s headgear of the side he was predicting to win a game.

Corso’s first headgear pick was in Columbus, Ohio, when the Buckeyes faced Penn State on Oct. 5, 1996. Interestingly, his final headgear pick will also be in Columbus this Saturday when the Buckeyes faces Texas in their season opener.

More tributes honoring Lee Corso as he exits College GameDay

Seminole County is not the only place Lee Corso was honored ahead of his last dance in college football broadcasting. The former football coach was also honored by Southwest Airlines before he boarded a flight ahead of Saturday’s game.

A gate attendant gave a special and touching shoutout to Corso, reading a summary of his milestones as the waiting passengers clapped and cheered on.

Buckeyes coach Ryan Day also offered a glowing tribute to Corso ahead of Saturday. Day said:

“Man, I think great ambassador to the game, just somebody who’s been positive and builds people up. He’s somebody that I remember just so many years of putting on the mascot heads and just making Saturdays so enjoyable for so many people.”

In well over 400 picks, Corso has a 67% win percentage, with 286 correct picks against 144 incorrect picks.

About the author

Kayode is a College and High School Sports writer at Sportskeeda since June 2023. Hailing from Nigeria, he has an undergraduate degree in Linguistics and African Languages, and has previously had stints as an entertainment and politics writer for around 7 months. Adept at creating content around historical perspectives, he strives to report stories based only on verified information. His mantra is - truth is always more important than sensationalism.

A fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Kayode admires how Nick Saban developed talent at the team and delivered consistent results, and hopes that the post-Saban era is just as fruitful. He is thoroughly impressed by Johnny Manziel’s talent, and feels that Shedeur Sanders is massively underrated. Nick Saban is his all-time favorite college coach.

While Kayode believes there is little to separate college and mainstream sports, pro leagues absorbing the best athletes leads to their quality being higher. Witnessing the Colorado Buffaloes’ hot streak at start the 2023 football season was one of his all-time favorite college sports moments.

When not writing, Kayode enjoys reading and watching sports documentaries. His most recent watch was "Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In."

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Edited by Krutik Jain