Michael Strahan has done just about everything. Football player. Television contributor. Game show host. The former New York Giants defensive end is one of the most recognizable faces in media today, so let’s take a look at his life on and off the football field.
Michael Strahan’s Career on the Football Field
After winning back-to-back Southwestern Athletic Conference Player of the Year awards at Texas Southern University, Strahan was drafted by the Giants in the second round of the 1993 NFL Draft.
Strahan was a starter but an unspectacular player until his breakout campaign in 1997, when he posted 14 sacks and earned a first-team All-Pro nod. A 15-sack season in 1998 pushed Strahan further into the conversation as the best defensive end in the NFL, but there was still more work to be done.
In 2001, Strahan posted one of the best pass-rushing seasons in recent memory. He set a new NFL record with 22.5 sacks and won the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award, cementing himself as one of the most dominant athletes in the game.
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Strahan managed 29.5 sacks from 2002-03 before a torn pectoral cost him half of the 2004 campaign. He returned to form in 2005, putting up 11.5 sacks and earning another All-Pro nod at age 34.
Strahan seemed to be on the verge of retirement after missing seven games in 2006, but he ultimately returned for one more year — and he’s surely glad he did. The Giants’ 2007 playoff run ended with the most significant Super Bowl upset of all time as New York took down the previously undefeated New England Patriots.
Strahan ended his career with 141.5 sacks, sixth-most on the NFL’s all-time list. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014, his second year of eligibility.
What Teams Did Strahan Play For?
Although Strahan played in the era of NFL free agency, he never left for another team. He spent his entire 15-year career with the Giants and worked under three different head coaches: Dan Reeves, Jim Fassel, and Tom Coughlin.
Unsurprisingly, Strahan holds the Giants’ career records for sacks, tackles, and tackles for loss. Only Eli Manning played in more games (236) for Big Blue than Strahan (216).
Strahan’s Career in TV
Strahan entered the television ranks almost immediately after retiring from the NFL. In the summer of 2008, he joined FOX NFL Sunday as a pregame analyst, a role he still holds 15 years later.
In Oct. 2010, Strahan filled in for Regis Philbin on an episode of Live! With Regis and Kelly. When Philbin left the show the following year, Strahan was selected to take over the full-time hosting gig alongside Kelly Ripa. Strahan won two Daytime Emmy Awards for his performances with Ripa.
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In 2016, Strahan departed Live! to join Good Morning America, where he is still currently a host. That same year, he took over as host of the game show Pyramid.
Strahan has also made guest appearances on scripted television shows. He’s landed parts on Chuck, Black-ish, and Charlie’s Angels, and starred in his own show, Brothers.
What’s Strahan’s Net Worth?
Strahan collected more than $76 million in earnings during his NFL playing career. His net worth is thought to be closer to $65 million as of 2023.