Michael Strahan on football, fashion and embracing fear

You’re a Hall of Famer who played 15 years for the New York Giants, then capped your final season with a storybook Super Bowl championship. You’ve since evolved into a triumphant entrepreneur, with your own clothing lines and a talent management-production company (SMAC Entertainment), not to mention a major TV career, including co-hosting “Good Morning America” and being a fixture on “Fox NFL Sunday.” How do you explain all your success? 

The opposite of football — be nice to people! [Laughs.] I think that you realize that nothing in your life happened because you’re so great that you did it all yourself. So for me, it’s about team. It’s not about me as an individual.

Why do you think you appeal to such a wide audience? 

I remember I did this April Fools’ prank a couple of years ago where it looked like I fixed my gap. And people flipped out! So many people were like, “Good for you, if that’s what you wanted to do, we’re so happy, you look great!” But then there were people like, “What are you thinking? How could you do that? You let down Gap Nation.” And I’m like, “There’s a freaking Nation? There’s a Gap Nation? Is that like Wakanda or something?” The reaction was kind of amazing to me, but I also think, and I say this to people all the time, “The gap in my teeth is kind of disarming.” Because you obviously can’t walk around this long in life with a gap like this and really take yourself too seriously. You gotta be able to laugh at yourself. And when I think people see the gap, they go, “Heck, he ain’t perfect.”

Michael Strahan custom suit, similar styles $370 at Mens Wearhouse and JC Penney; Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Duoface Calendar watch in 18-k pink gold, $29,400 at London Jewelers, 2046 Northern Blvd., Manhasset, LI

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Let’s talk about your love of watches. You’re known to be quite a collector. 

I’m a big Rolex fan; I’m a big Patek [Philippe] fan; De Bethune is another brand I’m a big fan of. The watch you wear kind of gives off your vibe for that day.

Do you remember your first watch?

My parents bought me a Movado when I graduated high school.

What draws you to a timepiece? 

I look for a watch that fits my personality. I look for a watch that’s big enough to fit my wrist, because that’s important — I can’t walk around with a watch that’s too dainty and kinda gets lost.

Jumper, $1,895, and pants (sold as suit), $4,595, both at Armani; “Caspe” boots, $495, and “Telante” belt, $150, both at Magnanni; Panerai Radiomir Tre Giorni watch in steel, $7,100 at London Jewelers

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Speaking of timekeeping, your former New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin mandated his players be five minutes early to meetings.

I always keep my watch at least five minutes ahead of time because of Tom Coughlin and his rules, and I cannot shake them! 

You first launched your eponymous label at JCPenney and your Collection by Michael Strahan suiting label is sold at Men’s Wearhouse. What inspired your fashion career?

I love suits. My favorite is a tailored, soft cashmere, gray three-piece suit. Sometimes I want to feel like the Black James Bond. I never really appreciated when I was younger how important a great fabric is, how important a great fit is.

And your NFL-licensed apparel line, MSX by Michael Strahan, has now launched with QVC and other national retailers, so you’re covering the full garment range. 

I want [fans] to say that the brand and the person are the same. 

Coat, $3,495, hoodie, $1,095, and sweatpants, $1,095, all at Dolce & Gabbana, 717 Fifth Ave.; Eastside Golf x Nike Air Jordan 12 Retro “Out the Mud” sneakers, price upon request at GOAT; Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Selfwinding watch in ceramic and stainless steel, $27,800 at London Jewelers

You’ve said New York is your favorite city because of its unmatched energy — tell us about your Manhattan man cave.

I describe my townhouse as roomy, modern, tasteful, elegant … sexy — like me. [Laughs.] There are only four bedrooms — enough for me; my girls [18-year-old twins Sophia and Isabella], who are going to college; and a guest. You don’t want too many bedrooms; I found out that means people tend to think that they could stay with you.

Is it true that it’s stocked with a Champagne vending machine?

I was gifted it for my birthday about four years ago. It was like only the third one that they made for like a private individual. And they made special coins that are gold and read “NY92,” like the Giants logo [and Strahan’s jersey number] on both sides.

You’ve decorated the place with some impressive art. 

Nothing sets a room off better than having the right piece of art, because it’s an expression of the person who lives in the house. I have a nice [Jean-Michel] Basquiat. I have great Retnas, a Robert Indiana. I love Keith Haring. 

We’ve heard you also keep your countless car models in a New Jersey warehouse. What was your first car? 

When I went to college [at Texas Southern University], my parents [the late Gene, a US Army major, and Louise, a former basketball coach] bought me a Ford Festiva. It was powder blue with a pink wave down the side. And I’m like, “Mom…” She goes, “Well, you either drive it or you walk.” I decided I’d drive it! [Laughs.]  

Shirt, $955 at Louis Vuitton; Santos de Cartier watch in steel, $8,050 at London Jewelers

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You also seemed over the moon about your 10-minute ride in space aboard a Blue Origin flight in December 2021. What was going through your mind? 

You’re not thinking to yourself, “Oh man, what can happen?” You’re just like, “Hey, this is gonna be the best adventure anybody can ever have, literally out of this world.”

You’ve had a pretty out-of-this-world television career, appearing on “Fox NFL Sunday” with the same nattily attired — largely thanks to you — crew for more than 15 years. You’ve called the show “the most fulfilling and fun thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

There are no egos involved. Sometimes you gotta subtract a little bit even though it might take away from you so that the whole is better. And in football, per se, if the team wins, we all win, and that’s how I approach TV.

Did that same philosophy apply when you joined “Good Morning America” as a co-host back in 2016?  

I just wanted to fit in to make sure I wasn’t a weak link, and then I could add to the show. I’m a normal guy doing an abnormal job sometimes, I feel. People want to see the news from a lot of different angles.

You look like you’re having fun hosting “The $100,000 Pyramid.”

I think the common thread for me on TV is that I’m not afraid to be myself. Because the world is imperfect, and if you make a mistake, you just correct it and move on and half the time people don’t even notice.

Chore jacket, $1,295 at Vince; “Bucks” shirt, $348 at John Varvatos; “Graduate” jeans, $198 at AG Jeans; “Santo” boots, $550 at Magnanni; Rolex Cosmograph Daytona watch in platinum, $77,800 at London Jewelers

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But you’re also known for being a perfectionist. How does that add up?

If I miss a day in the gym, I’m like, “Dude, what are you doing? Look at ya, you gotta get your butt back in there. Stop being lazy; you don’t want to make this a habit.” So it’s kind of like I’m balancing and I’m juggling all the time.

It seems to be going well — you’re 51, you work out six days a week and are a svelte 235 pounds on a 6-foot-5 frame. 

It’s not that I have a diet, I just have a lifestyle. I’m just more concerned about the longevity of my life and the quality, because it’s one thing to live long, but it’s [another] thing to live long and actually be able to enjoy living long. I’ve seen so many guys that I played with, I played against, who played before me, who played after me, and a lot of ’em don’t have the mobility. They gained a lot of weight. I don’t want to be that guy. 

What keeps driving you?

I want to be an example for my kids [Tanita, 31, Michael Jr., 28, along with twins Sophia and Isabella] and family. I also think I’m driven by the fact that I have a lot of people who I work with who I know depend on me, and I never want to disappoint them. And also doing things that people don’t think that I should be able to do. Almost like proving people wrong, which has kind of been, I guess, the driving force of my life.

With all your successes, have you ever feared failure? 

You doubt yourself more than anyone else will ever doubt you. I doubted myself on the football field, in the classroom, in business, on TV. [But] I learned I can’t be afraid to fail. And who cares if you fail? People will give you a chance at another thing if you fail at one thing, and I’m proof of that. So I just keep going until people eventually like something I do!

Peacoat, $9,100, and pants (sold as suit), $4,525, both at Hermès, 706 Madison Ave.; “Tacna” boots, $795 at Magnanni; Hublot Big Bang Unico watches in ceramic, from $23,100 to $24,100 at London Jewelers

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Is it gratifying that you’re no longer known solely as a football player? 

I feel like I’ve gotten to the point where a lot of people have no idea I played football. That really lets me know that I’ve lived several lives in one lifetime.

You couldn’t possibly have dreamed of all this growing up.

My boyhood dream was to just get a job and make enough money so I didn’t have to move in with my parents! 

Have you ever been happier than now?

Only when I hoisted that Lombardi [Trophy, after winning Super Bowl XLII]. [Giants co-owner and Academy Award winner] Steve Tisch couldn’t have written this script and sold it to Hollywood — and he’s the biggest producer out there. 

Steve Serby is a sports columnist who covers the National Football League for the New York Post.

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Photographer: Michael Schwartz; Editor: Serena French; Photo Editor: Jessica Hober; Stylist (clothing): Andie Cummings; Stylist (watches): Anahita Moussavian; Fashion Assistants: Laurette Partridge, Alex Bullock, Groomer: Alyssa Shackil