Michael Strahan has a reputation as a friendly and outgoing person while working on Good Morning America. However, his on-field persona during his NFL career was very different. Strahan talked a lot of trash to opposing players and then backed it up with big plays.
The Hall of Fame defensive end posted a video on Instagram recently that showed him back in his NFL days. The clip started with Strahan talking trash to members of the Eagles’ offensive line. He said that it was “bulls—” when a team member came up behind him and hit him in the leg. He then chased down quarterback Donovan McNabb and sacked him for a significant loss.
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“All day long,” Strahan said as he climbed off the Eagles’ QB, who also responded with comments of his own. The two players kept talking trash to each other until a referee ran up and told them to knock it off. “You can’t touch me,” Strahan shouted at the offensive line while running back to the defensive side of the ball.
The clip was a fitting example of the trash talk, considering that it featured the Eagles and the Giants. The two NFC East teams are bitter rivals and don’t like each other on the best of days. The players adopt this attitude and use it to find motivation during important games.
Strahan had plenty of opportunities to talk trash against the Eagles. He joined the Giants as a second-round pick in the 1993 NFL Draft. He proceeded to become a key member of the team and a vaunted defensive line. Strahan became a full-time starter in 1994, led the team in sacks for the first time in 1995 and continued to make an impact each season.
In 15 seasons — all with the Giants — Strahan registered double-digit sacks six different times. He broke the league’s single-season record with 22.5 sacks in 2001, the same year he earned AP Defensive Player of the Year honors. He also received seven Pro Bowl nods, as well as a spot on the All-Pro team four times.
Strahan played in several big games throughout his career, but the final was the best. He helped Osi Umenyiora and the other defensive line members hold Tom Brady and the undefeated New England Patriots in check during Super Bowl XLII, winning 17-14. Strahan retired from the NFL after winning the Big Game, ending his career with the sixth-most sacks (141.5) in NFL history. He was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
