Michael Strahan called his enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame “improbable.” But that’s not all he called out.
In a sprawling thirty-four minute speech in Canton Ohio, former New York Giants Defensive End Michael Strahan managed to pay homage to one of his fiercest rivals, Eagles right tackle Paul Runyun, thanking him for making him a better player:
“Six-foot-9, 350 pounds of twisted steel and non-sex appeal,” Strahan mused. “Jon, you made me a student of the game. I’m going to talk directly to you. You made me learn to be a student, to study my opponent. To learn my opponent better than they knew themselves.”
The fact that Strahan and Runyun even speak to one another considering all the battles they endured on the field is a testament to the friendship they developed after their playing careers ended.
“Back when they were on-field rivals,” the Star Ledger reported, “Strahan and Runyan wouldn’t look each other in the eye outside a football field, nevertheless go out of their way for one another. Now, they’re friends, with an overwhelming amount of respect for each other.”
Michael even managed to get one final jab in on Runyan seven years after the fact:
“After watching those films and you don’t play anymore, your right foot gave away everything you were going to do,” Strahan said during his speech. “But I love you Jon Runyan.”
Strahan went on to thank his teammates, former coach Tom Coughlin and his current “TV wife” Kelly Ripa. Speaking of wives, or in this case ex-wives, Strahan’s emotional induction speech comes on the heels of relationship turmoil. As reported by Inquistr , Michael and his fiancee of five years, Nicole Murphy, recently ended their engagement:
“They love each other very much, but with the distance and work schedule it has been hard to maintain the relationship,” Strahan’s rep confirmed to People a day before his induction.
And while this could have caused for a very downbeat Strahan on stage, Michael did not seem to exhibit any ill-effects from the fallout while he was on stage. And, according to a separate article from People , neither did he show any negativity during the after party celebration following his Hall of Fame induction. The 46-year old star “toasted his milestone with Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve and mingled with his family, friends and former teammates.”
He even “welcomed his friend Jon Bon Jovi to the stage for a special one-hour set, and, after LL Cool J turned up onstage to close out the night, Strahan ‘was the last to leave,’ says the source.”
