Michael Strahan insisted yesterday that television was not on his mind when he decided to retire from the Giants and the NFL.
Strahan, who just signed a $2 million-per-year deal with Fox Sports and was introduced yesterday as the newest member of the network’s NFL pre-game and post-game shows, insisted that, like he did with football, he “just fell into” TV.
The Fox executives believe the loquacious Strahan, who was believed to be courted by CBS, NBC and ESPN, is a perfect fit for Fox.
“This has been the only person we’ve seen in the last 15 years to be worth extending the desk for,” Fox Sports chairman David Hill said of Strahan.
“I was a part of the Fox Network (as a guest analyst) and because of my history working with Fox over the years and the relationship I’ve had, this fit my personality,” said Strahan, who acknowledged he had several other opportunities. “It just seemed like the right shoe to put on.”
Asked about his desire to be part of a game-day broadcast booth team, Strahan said, “I’m going to do what David and Ed (Goren, the president and executive producer of Fox Sports) tell me to do. I’m a player on a new team and I’m a rookie. I want to make sure I fit in and add something to the show.”
Added Goren: “Our ability to get someone from right off the field who is a Super Bowl champion and who is current is a wonderful asset to the show. Michael fits in with the personality of this group.”
That group includes Terry Bradshaw, Jimmy Johnson, Howie Long and host Curt Menefee.
“I really fell into this,” Strahan said. “TV never really crossed my mind while I was playing. But when I started doing some TV, I figured out that this could be a career. It’s nice to have options. But I never really had the foresight to think about doing this for a career. I’m very much an in-the-moment person and football has always been my love.”
Strahan, who was never a fan of training camp, did concede that working that first regular-season Sunday in the L.A. studios and not being on the football field after 15 seasons with the Giants will be weird.
“It will be because I do realize that I can still do this (play),” he said. “But the days that I still want to play football aren’t as often as the days that I don’t and that’s why I retired.”