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HBCU Black History Month

Source: iOne Creative Services / Urban One

 

For Black History Month, we will spotlight some of the greatest athletes in Historically Black College and University History. Today we spotlight a player who went from a Super Bowl Champion to Good Morning America.

Sports was in Houston, Texas-born Michael Strahan before he was born. His mother, Louise Strahan was a basketball coach. His father, Gene Willie Strahan was a retired Army Major and a boxer. He is also the nephew of retired professional football player Arthur Strahan. He didn’t play organized football until 1985 when his father sent him to Houston with his Uncle Arthur to play high school football. He did well enough to be offered a scholarship by the Tigers of Texas Southern University.

 As a Defensive end at TSU, Strahan faced enough double teams that the coaches would call them the “Strahan Rules.” His senior year, Strahan recorded 68 tackles with a school-record 19 quarterback sacks and 32 tackles totaling 142 yards in losses. He was also selected Division I-AA Defensive Player of the Year by The Poor Man’s Guide and Edd Hayes Black College Sports Report. In 1992, he was named First Team All-Southwestern Athletic Conference and the SWAC’s Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. He was also named Black College Defensive Player of the Year. As a junior in 1991, Strahan led the SWAC with 14.5 quarterback sacks. His 41.5 career sacks is a Texas Southern record.

Strahan was drafted in 1993 by the New York Giants. His breakout season came in 1997, recording 14 sacks. He was voted into his first Pro Bowl and was also named First-Team All-Pro by the Associated Press. In 1998, Strahan continued his success, racking up 15 sacks and being voted into his second Pro-Bowl and All-Pro team. He was named the 2001 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and was a two-time NFC Defensive Player of the Year (in 2001 and 2003).

In 2001, he broke the single-season sack record, recording 22.5.

In his final game, Strahan had 2 tackles and 1 sack the biggest upset in Super Bowl History, XLII against the New England Patriots.

Post career, Strahan co-hosts Fox NFL Sunday, Good Morning America and Strahan, Sara and Keke.

His Football career achievements include:

Super Bowl champion (XLII)

7× Pro Bowl (1997–1999, 2001–2003, 2005)

4× First-team All-Pro (1997, 1998, 2001, 2003)

2× Second-team All-Pro (2002, 2005)

2× NFL sacks leader (2001, 2003)

NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2001)

NFL 2000s All-Decade Team

New York Giants Ring of Honor

Pro Football Hall of Fame

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Black History Month HBCU Athlete Spotlight: Michael Strahan, Texas Southern University  was originally published on woldcnews.com