Michael Strahan on Myles Garrett Breaking, His Mt. Rushmore of Defensive Ends.

What this episode is about

Michael Strahan discusses his preferences as a defensive lineman, emphasizing his desire to dominate tackles rather than drop back into coverage during blitzes. He shares his enjoyment of stopping the run over rushing the passer, highlighting the toughness and willpower involved in that aspect of the game.

Key takeaways

• Michael Strahan preferred punishing the run over pass rush, proving toughness trumps stats in true football spirit.
• Blitzing might dazzle, but a savvy D-line knows: four-man pressure often suffices against even the best tackles.
• Strahan's 'game face' flips his nice-guy persona—on the field, it's about hunting souls, not just sacking quarterbacks.
• Earl Legged's coaching mantra: a tight end blocking you? Major shame! Strahan took that lesson to heart, and opponents felt it.
• Inconsistent record-keeping raises eyebrows—did Al Bubba Baker’s controversial claims overshadow Strahan's legacy, or is this a historical oversight?

Who speaks in this episode?

• Michael Strahan (Guest) · 9 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 3:00: Michael Strahan, Greg Olsen
2. 3:00 – 6:00: Earl Legged, Greg Olsen, Michael Strahan, Bruce Smith
3. 6:00 – 9:00: Bruce Smith, Texas Southern University, Michael Strahan, Miles Garrett

Notable quotes from "Michael Strahan on Myles Garrett Breaking, His Mt. Rushmore of Defensive Ends."

• But I know as a defensive lineman, that's not always what you all want to do, right? Especially when you're the great Michael Strahan, sack leader.

  about Michael Strahan · at 0:12

• I just we got to just jump into it, man. My guy Greg Olsen, man, he told us an amazing story last week on our episode with him about his welcome to the NFL moment where they decided to run power as a rookie.

  about Greg Olsen · at 2:15

• Me technique that lasted my whole career and it and I just couldn't rely on being athletic. But Earl had this thing. He said, If any tight end in this league blocks you, son…

  about Earl Legged · at 3:50

• You're the you're the sack leader for 16 games. You made the comment obviously congratulated Miles Garrett and gave him his flowers for because unbelievable feat that he…

  about Miles Garrett · at 4:52

• Exactly. And my ears are ringing right now. When you said his name, my ears run. It's crazy. He deacon swore to me he had a hundred sacks OF THE SEASON.

  about Aaron Jones · at 6:03

• All the guys that have at least 100 sacks get together. And so Bruce gets in front of the room and Bruce goes, Hey, I'm glad everybody showed up at the 100 sack club and…

  about Bruce Smith · at 6:50

• But hey, I had I went through it. Now I look back, I can laugh at it. being at TSU. Walter Highmith, my head coach whose son Alonzo Highmith, the first round pick out of the University of Miami back in those Jimmy Johnson.

  about Texas Southern University · at 10:12

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Michael Strahan — Person · Main guest / primary speaker · 5 mentions · first at 0:16
  Central voice describing his pass-rush/run-defense mindset, his coaching influences, and his view of sack records and all-time great edge rushers.
• Bruce Smith — Person · Referenced legend / comparator; mentor figure · 3 mentions · first at 5:38
  Used as a benchmark for elite sack production and described as personally close to Strahan; credited with organizing the '100 sack club' gathering.
• Greg Olsen — Person · Referenced guest (from a prior episode) / anecdote source · 3 mentions · first at 2:18
  Cited for a 'welcome to the NFL' story involving Strahan dominating him on a power run play, reinforcing Strahan's run-defense reputation.
• Earl Legged — Person · Referenced coach/mentor (early-career influence) · 2 mentions · first at 3:36
  Named as Strahan's first NFL coach who taught technique and set a mindset standard (especially vs. tight ends). Note: the name appears likely mis-transcribed; Strahan’s early Giants DL coach was 'Earl Leggett'.
• Miles Garrett — Person · Referenced current-era star / modern comparator · 2 mentions · first at 4:55
  Mentioned as being congratulated for a 17-game sack-leader feat and included by Strahan among top outside pass rushers.
• Reggie White — Person · Referenced legend / comparator · 2 mentions · first at 5:38
  Included among Strahan’s admired greats and later selected as part of his 'Mount Rushmore' of edge rushers.
  Outside guys, I would say Bruce Smith. I would say Reggie White. I would say Miles Garrett.
• Aaron Jones — Person · Referenced legend / historical context · 1 mention · first at 5:57
  Cited as an older-era sack icon (head slap) and as an example of disputed/uncounted sack totals from earlier NFL record-keeping eras.
• Al Bubba Baker — Person · Referenced player in sack-record debate · 1 mention · first at 5:05
  Raised as a disputed claimant to a sack record from his 1978 rookie season, prompting discussion about historical stat tracking and era comparisons.
  Being the sack leader for 17 games. But have you heard the claim that Bubba Baker, Al Bubba Baker actually has the sack record from his rookie season in 1978?

Companies & orgs

• Texas Southern University — Company · Educational institution · 2 mentions · first at 8:22
  Mentioned as the university where Michael Strahan received his scholarship and played football before going professional.

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 I do got to ask you because one of the things that stands out with Spags is his blitzes, right? He can give it from every single direction, zero zone blitz, man pressures, games, all that stuff. But I know as a defensive lineman, that's not always what you all want to do, right? Especially when you're the great Michael Strahan, sack leader. Coach, DON'T DON'T HAVE ME SLAM AND ANGLING. JUST LET ME beat the crap out of this tackle right here. What What did you feel like playing in that system? I'm assuming he probably called less blitzes with you on the field. really didn't need to bring more than four, quite honest.

0:30 Yeah, there you go. You know what? I'll be honest with you. I I've always been a nice guy, man. I really am.

0:36 Yeah. But in the days of football, I was a different nice. Right. There you go. There you go. You know, we all have a switch. We're nice guys. People know we're nice. But it's a switch. Like I get out there and I'm a whole different thing.

0:48 Got to be after the survival. I'm try I got I got guys like you two. I can't You're trying to kill me. I got to survive. Right. Yeah.

0:56 So, I I I hated the slants and stuff. Wasn't my thing, but I would do whatever. But don't make me drop.

1:04 Even though I do have a few picks in my career, one against Washington for a touchdown. But don't make me drop. Why you Why you dropping the best pass rushers and you got these little light in the ass dudes running in there getting rejected from the club. music thrown out of there like yoid don't come in the club with fake IDs.

1:25 Yeah, but I just didn't like dropping. I love pass wrestling. You know what I love most though? I love playing the run more than I love playing pass.

1:31 Really? That's surprising. I don't see a lot I don't hear a lot of DMs say that. What's So what why do you say that? Just because it was more like uh toughness, more like inserting your will? Like what is it?

1:42 100%. And I I I felt like it was toughness. It was inserting your will. It was literally I can take the life out of a guy. I look in your eye and I can see if you wanted to be there or not. And that was important to me. I wanted to look in your soul. I wanted to take your soul. And I was going to just go every play. I just looked at like this. You and me every play. I ain't going to quit. Let's see what you going to do. And when we turn on that tape tomorrow and we watching it, I will not be embarrassed in front OF MY TEAMMATE.

2:15 I just we got we got to just jump into it, man. My guy Greg Olsen, man, he told us an amazing story last week uh on our on our episode with him about his welcome to the NFL moment where uh they decided to run power as a rookie uh Michael Strahan. We had a home game my rookie of year in ' 07. And Michael Strahan is playing like a

2:38 I don't know if he was in a four-point stance, but it felt like he was like an eight-point stance.

2:43 And he was playing he was playing six technique, right? So he was like on my head.

2:47 But he the worst. And like you go too far inside and he just caves you down. You stay on his outside shoulder and he just presses you back. And I'm like I'm going to bring everything I got.

2:58 Everything I got. I'm bringing it. Well, he like two gaps me. He locks me out, presses me, head in the hole.

3:06 He takes me into the fullback into the backside pulling guard. Oh no. And like and I was like I ran off the field.

3:16 Swab the hole. I guess you threw him across the line of scrimmage onto the other a gap. Do you remember this play?

3:23 I do not. How do I say this? M. No, that was just a regular Sunday. You know what I'm saying? You know, I I don't remember the play, but I did have this thing where my first coach in the league, Earl Legged, rest in peace, Earl Legged, he was how we coaches coach with the Raiders back in the day, and that's why how and I've always been so tight. But Earl, man, he worked us more than anybody. I couldn't survive more than two or three years in the league without him because he taught me technique that lasted my whole career and it and I just couldn't rely on being athletic. But Earl had this thing. He said, "If any tight end in this league blocks you, son, you should be ashamed of yourself." So, anytime I saw a tight end, it was like, "I'm I'm going to literally I got to kill you." Like, I got to murder you right now. I cannot

4:12 I got to watch the coach. He And Earl would talk bad to you. Oh, he talks so bad to you.

4:17 Oh, Kirk God, you got to fight him. I can't go out there. I'm too old to fight FOR YOU, SON. HE WOULD SAY some other things I cannot say on this podcast that get me in trouble.

4:29 I love some good old ball coach, man. It literally made every tight end I lined up against made me like like salivate because I knew I had to embarrass him. I couldn't be be dealt with like that. But I'm glad Greg remembered it. That's what's important.

4:42 There you go. That's right. But I love Greg either. He's the best, too. By the way,

4:46 the best. You know it. Yeah. That's too funny, man. I had to ask you about it. We mentioned earlier that uh you're the you're the sack leader for 16 games. You made the comment obviously congratulated Miles Garrett and gave him his flowers for because unbelievable feat that he he accomplished as well being the sack leader for 17 games. But have you heard the claim that uh that Bubba Baker, Al Bubba Baker actually has the sack record from his rookie season in 1978?

5:13 Okay, I dispute that. MY QUESTION IS, what what would Michael Strahan be doing to an offensive lineman in 1978?

5:22 Oh, well, at 7 years old, I'd be getting out there getting beat up. But you know what? He he might I don't they didn't keep the records until later, which reason I disputed is not for myself. When I was coming up, man, one thing that I loved is that I a guy I admired like Bruce Smith, Reggie White,

5:44 um Chris Dolman, Dexter Manley, Charles Man. Every time I got a chance to meet these guys, they like took me under the wing and and was really great to me, man. I couldn't believe it. But the one guy, the older of all of them was Deacon Jones.

6:00 Deacon Jones, man. That head slap, baby. Look out. Exactly. And my ears are ringing right now. When you said his name, my ears run. It's crazy. He deacon swore to me he had a hundred sacks OF THE SEASON. I'M TELLING YOU.

6:19 He swore he had 100 sex, man. Oh, that's [ __ ] ridiculous, man. He swore by it. He's basically like, I don't even know what the debate is. I had 100 once.

6:32 Sometimes talking to those old school football guys, man, is just the [ __ ] best man.

6:36 Oh, yeah. You know, and even Bruce Smith is one of my favorites and like my brother, man. And and Bruce really took me on his wing. play a lot of golf with Bruce and just spend a lot of time with him. And Bruce orchestrated the 100 sack club. So at the Super Bowl, you get like all the guys that have at least 100 sacks get together. And so Bruce gets in front of the room and Bruce goes, "Hey, I'm glad everybody showed up at the 100 sack club and everything else." I was going to do a 200 sack club, but I didn't want to be here by myself.

7:04 It only took you 25 years. We didn't want to play that long. Damn it. Right. That's too funny.

7:14 You're naming all these greats. I got to know who What's your Mount Rushmore of sack leaders? Like Mount Rushmore of defensive lineman getting after the quarterback.

7:22 Jeez. I mean, they were interior guys and there were outside guys. Outside guys, I would say Bruce Smith. I would say Reggie White. I would say Miles Garrett.

7:37 Yeah. Um, man, put yourself on if you want. Feel free. You know what? I'll put myself honestly in the top two or three of all around defensive ends ever to play the

7:48 Okay, cuz I played the run as well as I played the pass. It wasn't like hit a running back if he happens to have the ball on the way to the quarterback. So, I put myself in that realm. But, as far as my whole thing is I started football late, man. I mean, I played one year in high school in Germany. I wouldn't Yeah, I wasn't playing football. So you were in Germany all the way up until you were 18.

8:08 Yeah. Yeah. Seven. 17. 17. And so I came over. I played one year. My dad was like, "You're going to get a scholarship." And I think if you don't tell your kids what they can't do, they could do anything. And my dad cuz like it was guaranteed you're going to get a scholarship. Next thing you know, I get one scholarship to Texas Southern University. I was like, "Dad, I don't know." He's like, "Well, you know, it's free. That's where YOU GO." AND THEN HE'S LIKE, "WHEN YOU MAKE IT TO THE PROS AND when you do this and when you do that." So my dad was always that when not an if guy, which was important.

8:39 Like I do that with my kids. Like when win, never if, never give out. So I came to this the Giants. I mean, I was at TSU, man. I was just basically relying on athletic ability, just running and working until a guy got tired and then I'd make plays. But I had no first three or four years I didn't know the game of football. You know, I was always behind. So I always wonder what it would have been like had I had the opportunity to like learn football at the earlier age. But I'm kind of glad I didn't because it always made me interested. Always. I'm always interested in football now. Like I watch stuff now. I'm still interested in the game. I didn't beat myself up. I feel better now than I felt when I retired.

9:19 So that's amazing. Yeah. I got I got lucky. I got really lucky. That's awesome, man. When you came over when you were uh 17, 18, I believe you you were with Art Strahan, right? Your uncle.

9:30 Oh, my uncle. Yeah, I stayed my uncle. And he played he he played a little bit in the league, right? Did you learn like at least the basics and understanding, you know, the old put your forehead right through the chin or

9:41 did I man? Man, I came over stay with my uncle. I didn't know really I was green. If there was a color deepest green you could find, that was how green I was. My uncle would take me in the front yard cuz he played seven years in the league. Oilers, the Falcons, all that stuff. He would take me in the front yard, man. He would just be slapping me around. THIS IS HOW YOU THIS is how you used to use your arm. And you know, my uncle's like six, seven, country ass strong, big old hands, man. He just beating this teenager up in the yard.

10:12 But hey, I had I went through it. Now I look back, I can laugh at it. uh being at TSU. Uh Walter Highmith, my head coach whose son Alonzo Highmith, the first round pick out of the University of Miami back in those Jimmy Johnson days. His dad was tough.

10:26 He would make us run gassers in, you know, Texas 100 something degrees. The devil leaning against the goal post waiting for you to pass out at that high

10:34 and he would say, "We're going to run until somebody turns in their scholarship." No, gives up your scholarship. Oh,

10:43 passing out. I would have fell out. I would have just said, "Okay." But no, T give up the scholarship and we had and we thought he was joking. Man wasn't joking. I mean, this dude was a beast. But when I came to the pros, it was like, "You can't kill me. I've been to hell already."

10:58 Yeah. You guys are arguing you don't have shoes. I wore the same pair of cleats in practice in the game every season for for the whole season. I get new pair of shoes every week. This is crazy.

11:09 YOU ARE BRINGING UP SOMETHING. NO, but this is this is something I've thought about where, you know, there's so much sports science and like load managements and like stuff now where I I feel like if you've never pushed yourself to the extremes, how do you really know how far you can go?

11:24 Yeah. Right. And 100% I when I went to college, I used to think I knew what hard work was. And then a guy put me through a workout in the weight room, Jordan Roth, and I couldn't even lift my shoulders above my my hands above my shoulders by the end of one of those workouts. And I was like, "Bro, what is this? I I've never worked hard in my life. I thought I WAS WORKING HARD. I DON'T KNOW what hard work was. I think that's so important for young players or even something you got to work out as an adult, too. You got to push yourself, man. Right.

11:50 And the harder I found that I pushed myself playing football, the easier the game became. The more I studied, the easier the game became. I could I would be the last one to get my stance because I'm just looking and looking at formations going, I know they ain't going to run this way or they're only going to be able to do this out of that. like you knew and as you got older if you really paid attention became the student the game slowed down and became easier but you got to work at it and the harder I've worked in sports like now everybody go you work so hard you're here you're there I'm like you don't understand what hard work was when you're in training camp and you guys know two days and you got to put those wet paths that are still wet from the day before on running to somebody who you don't want to feel like running into again and fighting for the next two hours you're laying on the ground the

12:33 stretch and they still got Cold morning dew on it. Oh yeah. Yeah. You just you can't think about you're trying to p peel yourself out of the bed. That's hard work talking for a living.

12:43 If I knew it was this good, I would have done it a long time ago. That is so good. So perfect.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Michael Strahan on Myles Garrett Breaking, His Mt. Rushmore of Defensive Ends."?

Michael Strahan (Guest).

What is "Michael Strahan on Myles Garrett Breaking, His Mt. Rushmore of Defensive Ends." about?

Michael Strahan discusses his preferences as a defensive lineman, emphasizing his desire to dominate tackles rather than drop back into coverage during blitzes. He shares his enjoyment of stopping the run over rushing the passer, highlighting the toughness and willpower involved in that aspect of the game.

What is mentioned in this New Heights episode?

9 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Michael Strahan, Bruce Smith, Greg Olsen, Earl Legged, Miles Garrett, Reggie White. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Michael Strahan on Myles Garrett Breaking, His Mt. Rushmore of Defensive Ends."?

The episode runs 13 min; the transcript is about 2,740 words in 49 timestamped sections.

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