When Michael Strahan opened up about something he's never spoken publicly about before, his fans branded him an inspiration.
The Good Morning America host revealed earlier this year his personal anguish before fame and admitted there were times he felt utterly alone.
MORE: Michael Strahan talks 'surviving' every day in heartbreaking confession about high school
The former NFL player shared an emotional message with fans in the second episode of ESPN's More Than an Athlete and posted a clip to his Instagram.
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Michael - who had never played American Football until senior year of high school - moved from Germany to Houston as a teenager to try to break into the game, but it was far from easy for the star who admitted he was lost.
His caption to the footage read: "I have never told this story publicly… let’s just leave it at that."
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The video began with Michael saying: "I'm gonna tell a story here which I don't think has ever been on tape about my college.
Michael opened up on ESPN's More Than an Athlete
"When I first went to Houston I was scared. Here I am a kid coming from Germany. I didn't think I could do it. I had to learn about culture, struggle loneliness. I had to figure out life."
Michael's social media followers praised him for being so honest and commented on the clip, telling him he was an inspiration.
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The father-of-four laid bare his feelings for the show in which he delved further into his angst as a teen.
© Photo: InstagramMichael has a successful career and four lovely children
He said that despite earning a scholarship to college, high school was far from happy for him.
"High school to me was surviving every day," he said. "I never felt like I had a handle on everything. I was just surviving."
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Michael moved from Houston, Texas to Germany when he was nine years old so that his father could take an army post there.
© Photo: InstagramMichael said his goal in life was to make his late father proud
He returned to his birth town in his senior year when he went to live with his uncle and only began playing football then.
"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."
Michael said he remembers playing against students who were in the newspapers for getting scholarships but he was never that guy. "I always felt like I was playing catch up," he said. "Catch up to those guys."
Remarkably, Michael played just one season of football before he landed himself a scholarship from Texas Southern University, and the rest is history!
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