Michael Strahan may be a beloved sports analyst, NFL legend, and popular morning show co-host now, but he wasn’t always popular. The former New York Giants star is revealing some painful memories from his childhood. Being a product of a military family and not living in the U.S. for much of his adolescents, Strahan found it difficult to connect with his peers.
Michael Strahan talks about difficult high school years
During his ESPN’s special More Than an Athlete, Strahan recalls being lonely during high school. “High school to me was surviving every day. I never felt like I had a handle on everything. I was just surviving,” he said.
The future NFLer moved from Houston, Texas to Germany when he was 9 years old due to his father’s military career. He returned to Texas his senior year of high school to live with his uncle and began playing football.
"My social life right there," he said making a tiny gesture with his hand.
“Or as the kids say, ‘loser’. Nothing happened in my social life. My life was school and I played football which was the real reason I was there. And Westbury wasn’t exactly a powerhouse school. I was not necessarily an over-powerful dominant player.”
Strahan says he was never popular and told stories of remembering reading about other players on his team getting major scholarships. He felt out of place. “I always felt like I was playing catch up,” he said. “Catch up to those guys.”
After just one season of playing football, Strahan landed a scholarship from Texas Southern University. He went on to become an NFL great.