NFL legend, on-air personality Michael Strahan discusses retirement; daughter’s health put life in perspective

Super Bowl champion Michael Strahan hung up his cleats following the 2007 season at the age of 36 after 15 seasons with the New York Giants. Now 52, Strahan is considering retirement again, this time from television.

Strahan has become a familiar face on television, as a host of multiple shows and serving as an analyst for Fox NFL Sunday. The Good Morning America host is also a dad of four, and his family is one main reason he is considering leaving the small screen.

While on In Depth with Graham Bensinger, Strahan discussed his career and his family and how the two impact each other.

His daughter Isabella was diagnosed with brain cancer in October. Strahan has taken some time off to spend more time with his daughter, supporting her through chemotherapy. During an interview on GMA he reflected on the difficulty of the diagnosis. 

“You’d think I’m the athlete, the tough guy, the father in the family. It is not about any of that. It has really made me change my perspective on so many things,” he said.

The diagnosis has emphasized the importance of time with family and it is something he mentions when discussing reasons he would eventually retire. 

“I love my life and I enjoy my life, but at some point, my kids are in college, I want to be able to go to college and say, ‘Yeah let’s take a trip,’ ” he said, rather than have to work around his schedule and the NFL schedule.

While he sees it happening eventually, he would not say how soon it will be. Strahan said he has a bet going with his friend over how many years he will work before retiring, but kept the number private.

“I want a life where there’s some freedom at some point. Is it in two years, three years, five years, fifteen, twenty?” the Giants Ring of Honor member said.

He loves what he is doing now and says it is not about the money, but for the appreciation of the work and wants to make sure it stays that way.

“I don’t want to lose gratefulness of being there and being apart of something,” Strahan said. “I’ll be off TV before a lot of people are sick of me being on TV.”

There is no current timeline, though he does already picture how he will leave, using a movie reference to paint the picture. 

“One day I may be like Forrest Gump when he’s jogging, and then he just stops and he’s got all these people behind him, and he turns around and says ‘I’m going home now.’ And they’re like ‘What? That’s it?’ That’s me when it’s over. Turn around and go home.”