Michael Strahan: Tackling Dreams

What African American man do you know that holds titles like the 1992 SWAC Player of the Year, Super Bowl Champion, Media Personality and best of all, Dad? If you were thinking Michael Strahan you’ve got it right. This past September the once Live! with Regis and Kelly television show became Live! with Kelly and Michael starring Kelly Ripa and co-host, Michael Strahan. The energized Kelly Ripa was filled with joy when she introduced her new co-host to the world, ” It has been 9 months and I am about to give birth to my new co-host!” The retired NFL athlete has been taking over the media with his pearly white-gap toothed smile for quite some time.

The Houston born athlete’s opportunity to be Ripa’s daily TV host date was not his first mark onto the media scene, Michael Strahan was also an analyst for Fox NFL Sunday after ending his 14-year career playing with the New York Giants. According to The Daily News, Fox guys told Michael the only way it would work is if he shows no signs of slipping on the pregame. Strahan decided to continue to work with Fox NFL Sunday in addition to his new TV gig with ABC. Strahan has also launched his own clothing line called GMEN. The GMEN clothing line was established during Strahan’s Super Bowl run in 2008 which was designed specifically for his teammates in order to experience a sense of unity. Soon after it became the team’s official uniform gear.

Unlike many athletes who pioneered their dreams of becoming a famous football player at a young age, Michael Strahan’s beginning of a great legacy began during his senior year in high school. Being a part of a family of athletes, Strahan’s father sent him to live with his uncle who happened to be a retired pro football player. One season of football was enough for recruiters to declare his worthiness of a football scholarship. He received a scholarship to Texas Southern University. By his senior year in college, Strahan was selected for an All-American first team by The Poor Man’s Guide to the NFL Draft because of his success on the football field.

During his football career, Strahan has been awarded Division I-AA Defensive Player of the Year, Black College Defensive Player of the Year, and  he was apart of an awesome Super Bowl winning team. Since then, Strahan has turned his football helmet in for a different life. NFL Player Jerry Reese praised Strahan for his skills in an interview on WFAN Radio: “After Michael became the superstar defensive end, he was getting double-teamed, he was getting chipped, but he was still getting sacks. The great ones still get through there and make plays. And he’s got to do that.” In an interview with NFL Total Access in 2008, Strahan tells viewers his reasons for retiring from the NFL: “A few months into it I am getting out of bed my back is killing me and I’m like do I really want to go for 16. I’ve already accomplished everything as a team that you want to do which is Super Bowl and as an individual so what would be the point of pushing it pushing my luck man I want to walk away I don’t want to limp away.” Though Michael Strahan is no longer gracing our TV screens on the football field, you can find him on your local ABC channel. You can also check out his clothing line at www.gmen.com