Inside the Helmet: Hard Knocks, Pulling Together, and Triumph as a Sunday Afternoon Warrior

by Michael Strahan

  I would like to thank Scott Waxman and and Byrd Leavell at the Waxman Agency and Bill Shinker, Brett Valley and Patrick Mulligan at Gotham Books. Thanks to Keith and Ken Zimmerman for their work on the book. I would like to thank Maury Gosfrand and my friend Jay Glazer. Without you, Jay, this wouldn’t even have been a possibility.

  Thanks to my brothers and sisters: Sandra Strahan, Debra Strahan, Gene Jr., Chris Strahan and Victor Strahan. Thanks to my agents Tony Agnone, Rich Rosa and Eddie Johnson. Thanks to my brothers-from-another-mother Ian and Dana Smith. Thanks to Rich Salgado and John Laffel for helping make this happen. Thanks to Gene Wolfson, Harvey Sanders, Kenneth Cole and Peter Hochfelder and to all my friends that have inspired me to be my best on and off the field.

  —Michael Strahan

  I’d love to acknowledge a small special group. I’ve got a horrible case of ADD, in fact I’ve already forgotten what I’m doing…. Oh yeah, thanking people. My mom Irene, Dad Ed, and brother Tg and his lovely wife and kids Julie, Max and Nathan for always reminding me of something that I forgot because of the ADD. To Michelle and Samuel for laughing at Michael and me fighting worse than most enemies and appreciating the entertainment value of two idiots and the things they say. To my friends who let me bounce all my ideas off of them, such as Rick Jaffe, George Greenberg, Alex Marvez, John Mullin, Scott Smith, and of course my most trusted advisor, agent and friend, Maury Gostfrand. To my main man at Fox Sports Radio Andrew Ashwood, who while I was worrying about titles for chapters was trying to kick the living crap out of cancer. “Yeah, babe!” To all the people at Gotham and Byrd and Scott who helped from the start. To all my friends in the NFL who provided stories for this book and confirmed some of the funnier ones that make this book what it is. Finally, to my big gap-toothed friend Michael who I’ve lived through so much with.

  I want to thank my loving and wonderful wife Michelle, and my son Samuel, the best son in the world. I want to thank my best friend Adonai for never letting me feel alone. Jay Leno said it best: “With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?” Thank you God for making me feel like you created the world just for me, yet at the same time granting me the wisdom to appreciate I am nothing more than dust and bones.

  —Jay Glazer

  Index

  Note: Search for team names under their cities or states.

  Abraham, John

  Accorsi, Ernie

  Achilles tendon

  AC joints

  Adams, Flozell

  ADD drugs

  agents

  aggression

  Aikman, Troy

  alcohol

  Alexander, Shaun

  Allen, Larry

  American Bowl

  ammonia caps (smelling salts)

  amphetamines

  Anderson, O. J.

  Andrews, Shane

  anger

  ankle injuries

  anthem

  anti-inflammatories

  Armstead, Jessie

  anticipatory skills of

  and fighting

  on Fox

  and introductions

  on pain management

  and practical jokes

  at Super Bowl

  tells of

  army-brat background of Strahan

  Arrington, LaVar

  autographs

  back injuries

  bad days in professional football

  Bailey, Champ

  Baltimore Ravens

  Banks, Carl

  Barber, Ronde

  Barber, Tiki

  Barber Bowl

  and Collins

  and Coughlin

  and hazing

  Barber, Tiki

  and playbook

  and press

  retirement

  and steroids

  Strahan’s relationship with

  style of

  and trash talk

  Barnes, Pat

  Barrow, Micheal

  baseball

  Becht, Anthony

  Belichick, Bill

  The Best Damn Sports Show Period

  Bettis, Jerome

  bicep muscles

  birthday party of Strahan

  blackballing players

  black players

  Bledsoe, Drew

  blitzes

  blowouts

  body language

  Bolden, Juran

  Bonds, Barry

  bones, injuries to

  Brady, Tom

  Brees, Drew

  Briggs, Lance

  Brooks, Derrick

  brotherhood

  Brown, Courtney

  Brown, Dave

  Brown, Derek

  Brown, Lomas

  Brown, Sheldon

  Brunell, Mark

  Buckley, Marcus

  Buffalo Bills

  bull rushing

  Burress, Plaxico

  bursa sacs

  Bush, Reggie

  caffeine

  calcium deposits

  calls, plays, and tactics

  adaptations in

  anticipating opponents

  chessboard analogy

  of coaches

  fake calls and plays

  intimidation tactics

  language of

  penalties for aggressive plays

  and playbook

  players who excel at

  and positions

  tells for

  camaraderie, See also brotherhood

  Campbell, Earl

  career management

  Carr, David

  Carter, Cris

  Carter, Ki-Jana

  cell phones

  centers

  Charles, Ray

  cheap-shotters

  cheaters, See also drugs, performance enhancing checks

  cheerleaders

  chess game of football, See also calls, plays, and tactics chest injuries

  Chicago Bears

  chop-blocking

  Cincinnati Bengals

  Cleeland, Cam

  Cloud, Mike

  coaches

  and behavior of players

  communication with

  departures of

  and fighting

  and film work

  in free-agency era

  and game analysis

  and general managers

  intent to inflict injuries

  and losing games

  management of players

  and playbook

  players’ relationships with

  plays of

  postgame analysis

  and practical jokes

  and practices

  pregame speeches

  pressure on

  replacing coaches

  reputations of

  and rookies

  sleeping through meetings

  and trash talk

  See also specific coaches, including Coughlin, Tom

  coffee

  coin toss

  Coles, Laveranues

  Collins, Kerry

  Collins, Mark

  comebacks

  communication

  with coaches

  Eagles game

  in piles

  See also trash talk

  compound fractures

  consistency

  contracts

  Couch, Tim

  Coughlin, Tom

  and Barber

  career of

  and cell phones

  coaching style

  confrontations with players

  dress code

  and Eagles game

  game preparations

  and Kiwanuka

  and meetings

  off-season program

  pregame speeches

  reactions to

  r
egard for players

  reputation of

  schedule of

  and Shockey

  Strahan’s relationship with

  on timeliness

  and trash talk

  Cousins, Terry

  creatine

  Cross, Howard

  crotch grabbing

  Culpepper, Daunte

  cursing

  cut-blocks

  Dallas Cowboys

  Davis, Scott

  Davis, Stephen

  Dawkins, Brian

  decoys

  defensive backs

  Denver Broncos

  deodorant, practical jokes involving

  DeOssie, Steve

  Diem, Ryan

  diet pills

  Dilfer, Trent

  distractions

  diversity in football

  divorce of Strahan

  Dorsey, Eric

  doughnuts and juice

  dress codes

  drills

  drugs, performance enhancing

  ammonia caps (smelling salts)

  amphetamines

  caffeine

  creatine

  diet pills

  ephedra

  HGH (human growth hormone)

  steroids

  supplements

  drugs, recreational

  Dungy, Tony

  Dunn, Warrick

  DWs (dick watchers)

  Ed Bloch Courage Award

  Edwards, Herm

  egos

  elbow injuries

  Elliott, John “Jumbo”

  as cheap-shotter

  and fighting

  and hazing

  lining up against

  playing style

  and Saturday morning breakfasts

  Elway, John

  embarrassing experiences

  Emmons, Carlos

  emotions

  and fans

  on the field

  in locker room

  and monotony

  postgame emotions

  pregame emotions

  and salaries

  and trash talk

  ephedra

  equipment managers

  eye gouging

  fairness

  families

  fans

  and autographs

  and calls and plays

  challenges from

  criticisms from

  expectations of

  fights among

  motivation of

  noise from

  respectful fans

  and trash talk

  Farleigh-Dickinson University

  Fassel, Jim

  fat players

  Faulk, Marshall

  Favre, Brett

  fear

  Feely, Jay

  feet injuries

  Field-Turf surface

  fighting

  Barber/Strahan argument

  and brotherhood

  and coaches

  on the field

  Gragg/Strahan fight

  inevitability of

  in locker room

  in meetings

  “other guy” inside players

  at practice

  protocols regarding

  purpose of

  Rice’s challenge

  of rookies

  on sidelines

  in the stands

  verbal sparing

  film work

  postgame analysis

  of practice sessions

  pregame preparations

  sleeping through

  fines

  and Bengals

  for cell phones

  for tardiness

  for travel-rule violations

  for unsportsmanlike conduct

  for weight

  finger injuries

  firefighters

  Fisher, Jeff

  Flutie, Doug

  Fox, John

  Fox, Mike

  free agency

  front office

  fumbles

  Galloway, Joey

  game day

  coaches’ speeches

  communication

  distractions

  emotions

  halftime

  highlights

  huddles

  inability to play

  intimidation tactics

  night before

  noise on field

  photographs of plays (see also film work) postgame analysis

  preparations

  rituals

  team introductions

  telephones on sidelines

  tickets to games

  transformation of players

  See also Super Bowl

  game programs

  Gannon, Rich

  the “gap,”

  Garcia, Jeff

  Garner, Charlie

  Gastineau, Mark

  Geathers, Robert

  general managers

  George, Eddie

  Giambi, Jason

  Gibbs, Joe

  Gilbride, Kevin

  girlfriends of players

  Glanville, Jerry

  Glazer, Jay

  Gogan, Kevin

  golf lessons

  Gonzalez, Tony

  Gorman, John

  Gostfrand, Maury

  Gragg, Scott

  Grbac, Elvis

  Green, Barrett

  Green, Trent

  grief, stages of

  Groh, Al

  Gurode, Andre

  halftimes

  Halloween party

  Hamilton, Keith “Hammer,”

  Hampton, Rodney

  hand injuries

  Handley, Ray

  Harrison, Marvin

  Haynesworth, Albert

  Hazen, Sam

  hazing

  helmets

  Henderson, John

  HGH (human growth hormone)

  highlights

  high-low attack

  high school football players

  Hilliard, Ike

  holding

  Holmgren, Mike

  hot calls

  Houston Texans

  Howard, Erik

  Huard, Damon

  huddles

  Hufnagel, John

  humiliation

  Hunt, Lamar

  ice tub

  Icy Hot

  Indianapolis Colts

  Indocin

  injuries

  impact on team

  intent to inflict

  Lisfranc injuries

  and losing games

  memories of

  playing on

  and reputations of players

  risk of

  treatment of

  variety of (see also specific body parts)

  See also pain

  intelligence of players

  intensity

  Irvin, Mike

  Jack

  Jacksonville Jaguars

  Jacobs, Brandon

  James, Edgerrin

  James, William

  Jansen, Jon

  jockstraps, practical jokes involving

  Johnson, Chad

  Johnson, Keyshawn

  Johnson, Pepper

  joints

  Jones, Adam “Pacman,”

  Jones, Cedric

  Jones, Dhani

  Jones, Walter

  Joseph, William

  JumboTron Stealth bomber

  Kansas City Chiefs

  Kennelly, Steve

  kickoff

  kidney stones

  kill calls

  Kiwanuka, Mathias

  knee injuries

  Kucher, Ashton

  Landry, Tom

  Lawson, Dougie

  Leggett, Earl

  Lewis, Jamal

  Lewis, Marvin

  Lewis, Ray

  Lewis, Thomas “T-Lew,”

  Lewis, Tim

  lidocaine

  Lincoln Tunnel

&nb
sp; linebackers

  Lineman Challenge trophy

  linemen

  Lisfranc injuries

  Lloyd, Greg

  locker room

  banter in

  camaraderie in

  emotions in

  fighting in

  halftimes

  and losing games

  practical jokes in

  pregame preparations

  prison mentality of

  sociology of

  Lombardi, Vince

  Lombardi Trophy

  Long, Howie

  losing games

  coaches’ reactions to

  players’ reactions to

  postgame analysis

  and press

  and tactics on the field

  Lynch, John

  Madison, Sam

  Mangini, Eric

  Manning, Eli

  Eagles game

  game of

  Halloween party

  leadership from

  Manning Bowl

  as object of practical joke

  and Peyton

  pressure on

  as rookie

  Manning, Peyton

  anticipation of plays

  Manning Bowl

  and plays

  practical jokes of

  respect for

  as rookie

  sacks on

  at Super Bowl

  Manusky, Greg

  Mara, Wellington

  marijuana

  Marino, Dan

  market value of players

  Maumalanga, Chris

  McAllister, Deuce

  McCardell, Keenan

  McGahee, Willis

  McNabb, Donovan

  McQuarters, R. W.

  meetings

  after losing games

  fighting in

  and on-time arrivals

  preparations for Sunday

  sleeping through

  and Super Bowl

  toll taken by

  Meggett, Dave

  Merriman, Shawne

  Middle East

  Minnesota Vikings

  money

  and contracts

  and divorce

  and expectations for performance

  financial management

  influence of

  and injuries of players

  as motivation

  pressure of

  of rookies

  salary caps

  salary negotiations

  salary sheets

  and scams

  and team rules

  wealth

  monotony

  Moore, Bob

  Mora, Jim, Jr.

  Moss, Santana

  mouthpieces

  nandrolone

  Naprosyn

  neck injuries

  New England Patriots

  New Orleans Saints

  games against

  hazing incident

  playbook on

  talking smack

  Newton, Nate

  New York Daily News

  New York Jets

  New York Post

  Nolan, Mike

  North Dallas Forty

  Norton, Ken, Jr.

  Oakland Raiders

  Oates, Bart

  offensive formations