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Michael Strahan was a little more than halfway through his NFL career when 9/11 happened. The defensive end spent all 15 seasons of his pro football career with the New York Giants.
One ominous moment from that catastrophic period that Strahan will never forget took place on the Giants’ practice field outside MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The World Trade Center’s twin towers, just across the Hudson River in lower Manhattan, were easily spotted from the stadium. Until they weren’t.
But the sudden change in the skyline wasn’t the only haunting sign of what had been lost.
“I remember seeing cars – a parking lot full of cars for people who were never coming back to claim those cars,” Strahan recalls of the area around the stadium. “It was something that just smacked you in the face.”
As the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Strahan was motivated by his memories to pursue a different kind of 9/11 retrospective special, ABC News’ “9/11: United We Stand – 25 Years Later.” The two-hour program, set to air on ABC, Disney+ and Hulu on Sept. 1, explores how sports, music, comedy and the arts helped the country move forward after the unimaginable loss of nearly 3,000 victims and the blow to the armor of American invincibility that the meticulously planned attack represented.
For a change, Strahan and his producing partner Constance Schwartz-Morini and others sought to put the emphasis on the joyful, inspirational, galvanizing and cathartic moments that the nation experienced in the days after the attacks. There were personalities and moments that consoled a grieving country.
A quarter century later, Strahan is no longer sacking quarterbacks. After retiring from football following the 2007 season, he made a successful segue into sportscasting on “Fox NFL Sunday” in 2008. He joined Kelly Ripa as co-host of “Live With Kelly and Michael” from 2012 to 2016. Since 2016, he’s been an anchor for ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
As Strahan thought about the significance of the 25-year milestone for 9/11, he found himself remembering the feeling of unity and national pride that emerged amid the shock that a terrorist plot to hijack commercial aircraft could kill thousands of people, destroy the World Trade Center and severely damage the Pentagon.
“Everybody handled it in their own way, and everybody got through it in their own way. But there were some catalysts for people who felt very hopeless at the time — being in sports, entertainment, music and Broadway,” Strahan says. “I wanted to have everybody tell their story, but yet honor those who suffered. You’ll go from joy to happiness and laughter and sadness. You just feel everything. But it’s a good reminder of where we were, where we’ve come and hopefully where we hope to get back to.”
Notables who take part in the special include Derek Jeter, Jon Bon Jovi, Matthew Broderick, Billy Crystal, Pete Davidson, Jimmy Fallon, Mark Messier, Jon Stewart as well as Strahan’s ABC News colleagues Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, and Martha Raddatz. It was produced by SMAC Productions, A+E Factual Studios, Derek Jeter’s Cap 2 Productions and The Montag Group for ABC News Studios,
For Strahan, being part of one of New York’s highest-profile sports teams at a time when the city felt under siege was a profound experience that taught him about the deeper meaning of sports. At first, he wondered how any team would return to a normal NFL schedule after the horror that struck just two days after the start of regular-season NFL play that year. But as the enormity of the loss sank in, Strahan realized that sports and teams that people love would play a huge role in moving the country forward.
“I learned that when you have people who hurt in one area of this country, everybody can feel that hurt. And when you feel that hurt as an American, other Americans step up and really want to be a part of the healing process,” Strahan recalls.
The Giants were on the road for their first few games that season. The team was blown away by the response from Kansas City Chiefs fans when they played in Arrowhead Stadium just 12 days after the attacks.
“They were passing around firemen helmets and police caps to the fans in the stands. They raised hundreds of thousands of dollars that the team matched to just show their love and support — not just for New York City but for the country as a whole. We all had to heal,” Strahan says. “Within these 25 years there has been a lot of healing, but there’s still a long way to go.”
Strahan says the process of looking back at the recovery from the shock to the American system made for sharp contrast to the bitter red state vs. blue state political polarization that has permeated the country in recent years. The sense of solidarity and resolve that Americans demonstrated in the months after 9/11 was powerful.
“I think it is something that is very important for us to remember and to remember the feeling we had. That is what I feel was lost, and I think hopefully in this film, people will see where we were and say, “OK, that’s the feeling I want. That’s the love I want. That’s the way I want this country to feel.’ And maybe we can get back to that,” Strahan says.
The special highlights key moments for the country in the wake of the attacks, from concerts that Jon Bon Jovi and Paul McCartney hosted for first responders to the triumphant return of Broadway shows including “The Producers” after the Rialto resumed performances on Sept. 13.
One of the most poignant parts of the special is a candid interview with Pete Davidson. Davidson’s father, Scott Matthew Davidson, was a New York City firefighter who died on 9/11 when his son was 7 years old. Davidson has declined past offers to take part in 9/11 remembrance specials and events. Strahan’s ties to New York and reputation as a broadcaster made Davidson say yes this time.
“To have Pete in it really meant the world because you can see still a lot of emotion for him tied behind it, but at the same time, you watch this guy have the ability to take that pain and make you laugh at times when you’re going through something,” Strahan says. “His way of getting through all that pain has been through comedy, which I think has led to him having a career that he’s had.”
ABC News has hosted a few screenings of the special in New York in advance of its premiere on ABC, Disney+ and Hulu. Strahan has been gratified by the response.
“So many people came up at the screening and said, ‘This is something that everyone at school should see.’ Kids should see this because it lets you know how serious it was, but yet how resilient and how amazing we are as Americans to get through all of this,” Strahan says “The humanity that we showed in that time frame, the love that we show for each other as Americans. There wasn’t such divide and I think that’s a great message for where we are right now. We all just want the same things. We want family. We want love. We want safety.”
English (US) ·