Before he became a second-round draft pick, a Super Bowl-champion defensive end for the New York Giants, and co-host of a nationally-televised morning show, Michael Strahan was the youngest of six children who grew up on an American military base in Germany. Through his upbringing, Strahan learned the value and importance of working hard to achieve a goal, a belief he has carried with him throughout his life.
The two-time Emmy-nominated series A Football Life continues Tuesday, October 15 at 9:00 PM ET with Michael Strahan: A Football Life. The one-hour documentary provides an in-depth look at the 15-year NFL veteran’s life, from growing up in Germany and then transitioning to life in the United States during his high school and college years, to his storied NFL career, and finally to his broadcasting career as the co-host of LIVE with Kelly and Michael and NFL analyst for FOX.
Michael Strahan: A Football Life features interviews with Strahan himself, as well as individuals who know him well including his parents Gene and Louise Strahan; Hall of Fame defensive lineman and FOX analyst Howie Long; FOX NFL Insider Jay Glazer; New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin; and former Philadelphia Eagles right tackle Jon Runyan.
Throughout the documentary, Strahan expounds on a number of topics, including:
- His thoughts regarding breaking the NFL’s all-time sack record and subsequent criticism
- His evolving relationship with New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin
- The role he played in the immediate aftermath following the events of September 11, 2001
- An influential moment when he was nine years old which involved a bicycle he still owns today
Emmy-nominated actor from CBS’ The Good Wife, Josh Charles, narrates.
Michael Strahan: A Football Life includes interviews with the following people:
Michael Strahan
Gene & Louise Strahan – Michael’s father & mother
Tom Coughlin – New York Giants head coach
Tony Gonzalez – Atlanta Falcons tight end
Howie Long – Hall of Fame defensive lineman/FOX analyst
Jay Glazer – FOX NFL Insider
Michael Gelman – Executive Producer, LIVE with Kelly and Michael
Jon Runyan – Former Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman
Kelly Ripa – Co-host, LIVE with Kelly and Michael
Brandi Chastain – Television colleague
Jason Garrett – Dallas Cowboys head coach/teammate of Michael on the Giants
J.W. Harper – Former assistant coach, Texas Southern University
Tara Sullivan – Columnist, The Bergen Record
Provided below are some select quotes from Michael Strahan: A Football Life:
– “I was scared every time I put on a uniform and stepped on the field. I’m scared every day I go into the studio and I come on stage because I fear that I will not live up to what is expected. I fear that somebody who spent a lot of money to come into our studio, to come to New York and they’ll walk away and go, ‘I could have stayed at home.’ I feared that as a player a fan would come to the stands and I wouldn’t perform well. Just the way I’m built. I’m more scared of failure than I am excited about the accolades that come with success.” – Michael Strahan
– “The sack record is great; absolutely phenomenal. But I almost feel like in a sense it was diminished because everyone goes, ‘Brett Favre gave you a sack’…I always have to say if you don’t like it, then break it.” – Michael Strahan
– “I hated him. And when I say hate, I don’t mean hate as I’m just saying hate as a loose word. No, I mean I absolutely hated the man.” – Michael Strahan on New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin
– “He’s best known for being a football hero, but from my perspective that is the least of his talents.” – Kelly Ripa
– “What developed more than anything was his leadership. He could get on the guys around him and they would accept it because he was doing it.” – J.W. Harper
– “A lot of people are given the God-given gifts, and a lot of people don’t have the intensity or desire to get in there and mix it up. He had both of them.” – Jon Runyan
– “I’m somebody who is thinking about going into television when I get done playing, and he’s the blueprint.” – Tony Gonzalez
Courtesy: NFLCommunications.com
