Former NFL player Michael Strahan spent 15 seasons playing for the New York Giants as a defensive end. He contributed to the team’s victory in Super Bowl XLII against the New England Patriots during his last season in 2007. In 2014, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Early Life
Michael Strahan was born in Houston. The youngest of six children, he is the son of Louise (Traylor) Strahan, a basketball coach, and Gene Willie Strahan, a retired Army Major and a boxer with a 1–1 record against future heavyweight champion Ken Norton. He is the nephew of retired NFL defensive lineman Art Strahan.
At the age of 9, Strahan’s family relocated to the Army Post BFV (Benjamin Franklin Village) in Mannheim, West Germany.
He then enrolled at Mannheim American High School (MAHS), which is a high school for dependents of the US Department of Defense. During this time, Strahan also served as a linebacker for the school’s football team, the Mannheim Bison.
During the summer before his final year of high school, Strahan’s father decided to have him stay with his uncle Art in Houston and enroll in Westbury High School.
Education
After playing football for just one season, Michael Strahan received a scholarship offer from Texas Southern University. He went on to graduate from the university in 1993 and joined the National Football League.
Following in his uncle Art’s footsteps, Strahan became a defensive end at Texas Southern University. He was such a force on the field that he often faced double teams, leading TSU coaches to nickname this strategy “Strahan rules”. As he entered his third year of college, Strahan’s performance caught the attention of NFL scouts.
At Texas Southern University, Strahan, a senior, was chosen for the All-America first-team by The Poor Man’s Guide to the NFL Draft, The Sheridan Network, Edd Hayes Black College Sports Report, and the Associated Press.
He achieved 68 tackles and set a school record with 19 quarterback sacks, as well as making 32 tackles resulting in a loss of 142 yards.
His great performance made him the Division I-AA Defensive Player of the Year by The Poor Man’s Guide and Edd Hayes Black College Sports Report.
He received the titles of First-team All-Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and SWAC’s Player of the Year for the second year in a row in 1992. Additionally, he was recognized as the Black College Defensive Player of the Year.
In 1991, Michael Strahan, while in his junior year, topped the SWAC with 14.5 sacks as a quarterback. This total of 41.5 sacks throughout his career remains a record for Texas Southern. In 2014, he was honored with induction into the Black College Football Hall of Fame.
Michael Strahan’s Career
For 14 years, Michael Strahan served as a defensive end for the New York Giants, joining the team as the 40th pick in the second round of the 1993 NFL Draft. During his time in the professional league, he did well. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl seven times and was on the winning 2007 Giants team that won the Super Bowl.
He has the most sacks in one NFL season. He has also won two NFC championships and was named the 2001 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
He officially retired from the NFL in 2007 and was later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014. He is also honored in the New York Giants Ring of Honor and named to the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team.
After leaving the NFL, Michael Strahan has been working as an analyst on Fox NFL Sunday and also served as the host for Pros vs. Joes. In 2008, he was the host of the DIY Network’s Backyard Stadiums. This show was about making homes better by building sports fields in backyards.
After being chosen in 2012, Strahan took over for Regis Philbin as the co-host of the rebranded “Live! with Kelly and Michael.”
He departed the show in 2016, having won two Daytime Emmy Awards during his time there, to focus on his role as a permanent host on “Good Morning America.”
Additionally, he started hosting the game show “The $100,000 Pyramid” in 2016. In 2015, he authored the book “Wake Up Happy: The Dream Big, Win Big Guide to Transforming Your Life.”
Wife & Kids
From 1992 to 1996, Michael Strahan and Wanda Hutchins were married. Hutchins is an American businesswoman, interior designer, and home decorator.
Together, they have two children, Tanita Strahan, and Michael Anthony Strahan Jr. Strahan relocated his family to the United States and bought a $163,000 home in the Houston neighborhood where his parents also resided.
Strahan tied the knot with Jean Muggli in 1999, having met her at a spa. Their twin daughters, Isabella and Sophia, were born in December 2004.
Since then, Michael Strahan has been residing in Manhattan’s Upper West Side. On July 20, 2006, the divorce between Strahan and Muggli was officially settled.
Judge James B. Convery granted Muggli $15 million in a divorce agreement and $18,000 per month in child support in January 2007. Strahan filed an appeal.
In March of that year, the court decided that the Montclair, New Jersey estate should be sold at an auction, and the money should be split equally. The property was valued at $3.6 million.
Strahan got engaged to Nicole Mitchell, Eddie Murphy’s former spouse, in August 2009, but their engagement came to an end in 2014.
In June 2011, he participated in a commercial advocating for the legalization of same-sex marriage in New York. He has been in a relationship with Kayla Quick since approximately 2015.
Net Worth
With a net worth of $65 million, Michael Strahan, a former professional footballer, now works as a sports commentator and co-host of the popular talk show “Good Morning America” on ABC.
He spent 14 years as a defensive end for the New York Giants before retiring. Additionally, Strahan also serves as a football analyst on “Fox NFL Sunday.”
