For Michael Strahan, the bond he formed with Eli Manning while playing for the New York Giants went well beyond their time together on the field. Their partnership helped deliver one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history, but Strahan recently revealed that the victory also opened a door he had never expected to walk through. Recalling that turning point on his new podcast, the Pro Football Hall of Famer became emotional while explaining just how much Manning changed his life.

“I’m not going to cry right now, but I do say Eli changed my life,” Strahan said on Hustle Like You’re Broke, which he hosts with longtime business partner Constance Schwartz-Morini. “My life would not be the same had we not won a Super Bowl. I would have been no reason to go on the show when Regis took a break and go fill in for Regis, or to go on with Regis and Kelly…Thank you, Eli. You changed my life.”

The connection goes back to the Giants’ 2007 season. Strahan and Manning spent four seasons together in New York, and their final campaign as teammates ended with a Super Bowl XLII victory over the previously undefeated New England Patriots. Manning earned Super Bowl MVP honors after leading the Giants to a 17-14 win, while Strahan retired after the championship.

That victory also created an unexpected opportunity for Strahan away from football. As Schwartz-Morini explained during the podcast, Manning had originally been lined up for an appearance on Live! with Regis and Kelly. But his Super Bowl MVP celebrations included a trip to Walt Disney World, leaving Strahan to take the opportunity instead.

The appearance helped introduce Strahan to a television audience beyond sports. He later returned to the show several times as a guest co-host and, in September 2012, was named Kelly Ripa’s permanent co-host. He remained in the role until 2016, winning two Daytime Emmy Awards during his time on the program. He later became a familiar face on Good Morning America and Fox NFL Sunday.

Manning also reflected on the connection that comes from winning a championship together. He said the shared experience creates a bond that lasts long after teammates stop playing alongside one another.

“The guys that you win a championship with, the coaches, everybody in that locker room, there’s a special bond that you have,” Manning said. “When you see them and maybe haven’t seen them in five or 10 years or maybe you text every once in a while, then you see them, it’s like an automatic hug. It’s not a handshake.”

He added that the playoff run, road games, Super Bowl week, celebrations, and championship rings become memories that stay with everyone involved.

For Strahan, though, the impact of that Giants season reached far beyond the trophy. The victory helped launch a second career, turning a former NFL defensive end into one of the most recognizable figures in sports and television. And he made sure to tell his former quarterback that he had played a major part in it.

The post “Not Going to Cry”: Michael Strahan Almost Breaks Down in Tears as NFL Legend Credits Eli Manning for Changing His Life appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.