Michael Strahan: From NFL Sack Record-Holder to Good Morning America Co-Anchor

Michael Strahan built one of the most decorated defensive careers in NFL history before reinventing himself as one of daytime television’s most recognizable faces. Few athletes have made the jump from the football field to network television as successfully as Strahan, who now balances a co-anchor chair on “Good Morning America” with his ongoing role as an NFL analyst—a rare double life at the top of two very different industries.

Here’s a closer look at his football career, broadcasting success, and personal life.

Who Is Michael Strahan?

Michael Anthony Strahan was born November 21, 1971, in Houston, Texas. He is a former NFL defensive end who spent his entire 15-year professional football career with the New York Giants before transitioning into a second career as a television host. He now serves as co-anchor of ABC’s “Good Morning America,” alongside George Stephanopoulos and Robin Roberts, and hosts ABC’s primetime game show “The $100,000 Pyramid.” During football season, he continues to work as an analyst on “Fox NFL Sunday.”

Strahan is both a Pro Football Hall of Famer (2014) and a College Football Hall of Famer (2025), and his broadcasting work has earned him a Peabody Award, multiple Daytime Emmy Awards, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Early Life and Education

Strahan was the youngest of six children. At age nine, he moved with his family to Mannheim, Germany, where his father, Gene, an Army major, was stationed. Because of this upbringing, Strahan played little organized football as a child. His father, believing Strahan had the athletic ability to earn a college scholarship, sent him to live with an uncle—a former NFL player—in Houston for his senior year of high school, where he began playing organized football in earnest.

Strahan went on to attend Texas Southern University, a historically Black university, where he set a school record with 41.5 career sacks, earned Black College Defensive Player of the Year honors, and was twice named Southwestern Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

NFL Career

The New York Giants selected Strahan in the second round, 40th overall, of the 1993 NFL Draft. He spent his entire 15-season career with the Giants, developing into one of the most dominant pass rushers of his era. In 2001, Strahan set the NFL’s single-season sack record with 22.5 sacks and was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He led the league in sacks again in 2003 with 18.5.

Over his career, Strahan was selected to seven Pro Bowls and earned four first-team All-Pro selections, finishing with 141.5 career sacks — ranking among the top handful of sack leaders in NFL history. In February 2008, Strahan capped his career by helping the Giants upset the previously undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, before retiring months later. The Giants later retired his No. 92 jersey and inducted him into their Ring of Honor.

Broadcasting Career

Live! with Kelly and Michael

After retiring from football, Strahan transitioned into television, joining the syndicated daytime talk show “Live!” as Kelly Ripa’s co-host in September 2012.

Good Morning America

Strahan left “Live!” in 2016 to become a full-time co-anchor of “Good Morning America,” a role he’d taken on part-time since joining the show in 2014. His decade-plus run on the program has earned him a Peabody Award and induction into the New York State Broadcasters Association’s Hall of Fame as Broadcaster of the Year, along with several Daytime Emmy Awards shared with the “GMA” team.

Fox NFL Sunday

Strahan has worked as an NFL analyst on “Fox NFL Sunday” for years, appearing alongside colleagues including Howie Long during football season while maintaining his weekday role at “GMA” — a dual schedule he has openly discussed scaling back from as he considers what a gradual step back from daytime television might look like in the years ahead. He has said that whatever the future holds for his morning show role, he intends to remain with Fox for the foreseeable future.

$100,000 Pyramid

Since 2016, Strahan has also hosted ABC’s revival of the game show “The $100,000 Pyramid.”

Business Ventures

Beyond broadcasting, Strahan has built a business portfolio that includes his own production company, Michael Strahan Media, and MSX by Michael Strahan, a men’s apparel line. He has also explored opportunities in professional football ownership, expressing public interest in acquiring a minority stake in the New York Giants.

Personal Life

Strahan has four children from two marriages. He married Wanda Hutchins in 1992; the couple had two children, daughter Tanita and son Michael Jr., before divorcing in 1996. In 1999, Strahan married Jean Muggli, with whom he had twin daughters, Isabella and Sophia, born in October 2004; that marriage ended in divorce in 2006.

In 2023, Isabella Strahan was diagnosed with a form of brain cancer, and Strahan took a leave of absence from “Good Morning America” to be with her during treatment. She was declared cancer-free in 2024, and her recovery was later documented in an ABC special.

Where Is Michael Strahan Now?

Michael Strahan continues to co-anchor “Good Morning America” and host “The $100,000 Pyramid” on ABC, while remaining a football analyst on “Fox NFL Sunday” during the NFL season, balancing both roles as he has for more than a decade.

Frequently Asked Questions

What show does Michael Strahan co-anchor? He co-anchors ABC’s “Good Morning America” alongside George Stephanopoulos and Robin Roberts.

Is Michael Strahan in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Yes, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2025.

What NFL record does Michael Strahan hold? He set the NFL’s single-season sack record with 22.5 sacks in 2001, a mark that stood for two decades.

Does Michael Strahan still work for Fox? Yes, he continues to work as a football analyst on “Fox NFL Sunday” during the NFL season, alongside his role at “Good Morning America.”

How many children does Michael Strahan have? He has four children: Tanita and Michael Jr. from his first marriage to Wanda Hutchins, and twin daughters Isabella and Sophia from his marriage to Jean Muggli.