Michael Strahan has been a household name for over three decades, starting with his career with the NFL in 1993 and then his foray to television, now as one of the lead anchors of Good Morning America.
However, what many fans of the 52-year-old star don't often remember is that Michael, often seen as the All-American type, actually spent a majority of his formative years living in Germany.
When he was nine, his family moved to Army post BFV (Benjamin Franklin Village) in Mannheim, West Germany, where he lived until he was 16.
He played organized football while he was in school, but didn't pursue it with more seriousness until his senior year. He moved to Houston to live with his uncle Art Strahan, a retired NFL defensive lineman, and began playing with Westbury High School.
Michael gave an interview with the official Instagram page for the New York Giants in Germany, his former NFL team, and recalled some of his life in the European nation while also flexing a bit of his German.
"I was nine years old when we moved to Germany," he remembered in his conversation with Markus Kuhn, a German player who served as a defensive tackle for the Giants from 2012-15.
"And then I came back to the States for half of my senior year when I was 16. My parents stayed, so all in all, family wise, 19 years," he continued. He couldn't help but gush that he "loved" living in Germany.
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"My whole family loved the country," the dad-of-four added. "It was great to go up there because I had to learn different cultures, get along with different people, and it teaches you that the world is bigger than just your little community that you live in."
© Getty ImagesHe explained that the experience taught him to learn about living with and adjusting to life with people who may not grow up the same way you did, and appreciating that aspect.
"You respect people for people, you respect communities for communities, you understand that there are differences, and you acclimate and integrate yourself. So I've learned to, kind of, [fit in] where I am and that's come from being in Germany all those years."
© Getty ImagesMichael also recalled one memory of life in Germany that had stuck with him, which led him to remember a sweet family tradition he enjoyed up until he was a teenager.
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"Every weekend we used to go for dinner at the Schützenhaus [a clubhouse]," he shared. "And the waitress, every week she'd come over and grab my cheeks, [and say], 'Such a cute little boy!' and I'll never forget that!"
Michael's one season with Westbury was enough to earn him a scholarship to Texas Southern University, where he returned recently to be inducted into the Texas Southern University Sports Hall of Fame, just like his uncle Art, who played for the TSU Tigers. He played with the Tigers until his 1993 graduation, and was drafted by the Giants almost immediately after.
