Kirk Herbstreit shared the devastating news Thursday that he had to put his beloved Golden Retriever, Ben, to sleep after a battle with cancer.

“This is really hard to write, but so many of you have loved and cared about Ben that I wanted to let you know. We found out today that the cancer had spread throughout Ben’s organs and there was nothing more we could do – we had to let him go,” Herbstreit shared on his social media pages.

Earlier this week, the college football and NFL analyst revealed that Ben had been undergoing chemo treatments, but the situation worsened. The next 24 to 48 hours would be a crucial stretch to see if he could survive.

Herbstreit honored Ben’s memory on Thursday, calling him “1 (of) 1.”

“I’ve had dogs all my life, but Ben was 1 (of) 1. He was smart, loving, gentle, patient, curious and welcoming to everyone,” the former Ohio State QB wrote. “Always a big smile and a gentle wag of the tail. He and I could communicate. He and I understood each other and had each other’s backs.”