NFL
Michael Strahan Is A Super Bowl Champion With a $65 Million Fortune, but His ‘Most Valuable Possession' Is Humble Childhood Purchase
Joe Kozlowski began his career as a sports journalist in 2013 and joined Sports7 in 2019. He covers the NBA and soccer for Sports7, with specialties in legacy NBA players such as Michael Jordan and Premier League club Arsenal. Off the clock, he's a Kansas City Chiefs fan and a hockey goalie. Growing up loving Shaquille O'Neal and reading everything he could about the great big men throughout NBA history — likely because he was still tall enough, at least relative to his peers, to play center — he's continued to love learning about and exploring the historical and story-based sides of the basketball archives. As for Arsenal, Joe spent a year living in London and latched onto the local support of the club. He's barely missed a match since, loving Arsene Wenger, enduring the Banter Era, and following along through rebuilds. The Premier League interest developed into a passionate following of the Champions League, Europe's big five league, and international soccer as a whole when played at the highest level. Regardless of the sport, Joe is captivated by the stories of athletes beyond the box scores and how they push the envelope — both in terms of what we think a human is capable of accomplishing and how they find new competitive tactics to win.
Get to know Joe Kozlowski betterUpdated11 Jul 2023
While it's been quite a few years since Michael Strahan hit the gridiron, the former New York Giants star is still going strong. During his time with Big Blue, the defensive end piled up plenty of sacks and won a Super Bowl title. In retirement, he's found a home on television and continued to build a sizable fortune.
Despite all that success, though, Michael Strahan's prized possession doesn't have anything to do with his football career, TV stardom, or his bulging bank account. Instead, it dates back to childhood, long before his fame and fortune.
Michael Strahan had a Hall of Fame career with the New York Giants
These days, Michael Strahan is a fixture on daytime TV. His career, of course, started on the football field, rather than in the studio. During his youth, though, Strahan didn't always seem destined for athletic greatness. At one point, he was even nicknamed “BOB,” which stood for either ‘Booty on Back or ‘Big Ol’ Butt.'
Strahan's father whipped him into shape, however, and, after one season of high school football, Michael earned a scholarship to Texas Southern University. Once on campus, he grew into a legitimate pass-rushing threat.
When the 1993 NFL draft rolled around, the New York Giants selected Strahan in the second round. While it took him a few years to hit his stride, the defensive end would eventually become one of the franchise's biggest stars.
By the time he retired, Michael Strahan had played 15 seasons, piling up 854 total tackles and 141.5 sacks. He also earned Defensive Player of the Year honors, was named to seven Pro Bowls, and won a Super Bowl title before calling it a career.
Strahan finds continued success in the world of TV
According to Spotrac‘s contract data, Strahan made over $76 million in salary during his time on the gridiron. While that money, combined with his on-field accomplishments, is nothing to sneeze at, it was only the start of a successful career.
After hanging up his helmet and pads, Strahan joined Fox's NFL coverage. While that proved to be a natural segue into the media world, the former defensive end didn't stop there.
In 2010, Strahan filled in as a guest host on Live! with Regis and Kelly. After Regis Philbin left the show, he took over as a co-host of the rebranded Live! with Kelly and Michael. He proved to be a natural and, in 2016, landed a gig on Good Morning America.
Based on Celebrity Net Worth‘s estimates, Strahan's fortune is approximately $65 million. That, plus his NFL and TV resume, is nothing to sneeze at.
Michael Strahan's prized possession is still his childhood bike
Given his professional and financial success, Michael Strahan has plenty of things he can be proud of. His prized possession, however, has nothing to do with TV or football; instead, it dates back to his childhood.
“My most valuable possession is a Kuwahara Laserlite,” Strahan told Graham Bensinger in a video interview. “It's a BMX bike. That's the first thing that I ever had to work for. It was $600, I think, back in 1982.”
Strahan, however, didn't have to muster up all that cash himself. His father told him that, if he wanted the bike, he'd have to pay for half of it. While $300 seems like a fortune to a child, Michael wasn't going to take no for an answer.
“I had to cut a lot of grass, and babysit, and deliver newspapers,” Strahan explained. “We bought that bike together, and it's the first thing I ever had to earn. And it hangs in my garage with my other possessions that I love, but that's the one thing that I would snatch out if anything happened.”
With his $65 million fortune, Michael Strahan could buy plenty of bikes. None of them, however, would be as important as his childhood purchase.
