Michael Strahan’s been through some battles on the gridiron, dodging 300-pound linemen and racking up sacks like nobody’s business during his Hall of Fame career with the New York Giants. But nothing from his NFL days could’ve braced him for the gut-punch he got from a family secret that came to light years later—one involving a childhood pet pig and a dinner plate he never saw coming.
Growing up as one of five siblings, splitting time between Houston, Texas, and Germany, Strahan had a pet pig that was more than just a farm animal to him. It was his buddy, his pal, the kind of pet you pour your kid-heart into. But in a twist that sounds like it could’ve been ripped from a sitcom, Strahan didn’t find out until he was an adult that his parents, Gene and Louise Strahan, had turned that pig into a family meal. Yeah, you read that right—his pet pig ended up on the menu, and nobody told him.
The bombshell dropped during a TV segment when Strahan’s parents sat down with his former Good Morning America co-anchor, Sara Haines, before Gene’s passing in 2020. They casually spilled the beans to Haines, who was floored to learn the fate of Michael’s childhood pet. Thinking it was just a quirky family story, Haines brought it up to Strahan, giving him a playful ribbing about it. But the look on his face said it all—he had no clue. “What are you talking about?” he asked, blindsided. Turns out, the Strahan family had kept this one under wraps, and poor Michael was left to process the news that his pig pal was long gone, served up years ago when he was just a kid.
Haines recounted the moment with a laugh, but you can imagine the shock for Strahan. He ended up calling his mom, Louise, to get the full story. “I had no idea,” he told her, while Haines felt like she’d accidentally stirred up a family secret. “I didn’t mean to betray the family trust!” she said, half-apologizing for letting the pig out of the bag—pun intended. It’s the kind of story that makes you chuckle and cringe at the same time, picturing Strahan, the larger-than-life defensive end, confronting his mom about a childhood memory turned family feast.
These days, the Strahan family’s keeping it safer with their pets, sticking to dogs. Michael’s a proud dog dad to Enzo and Zuma, the latter joining the crew in 2023. Those pups are probably living the good life, far from any dinner-table surprises, and you can bet Strahan’s keeping a close eye on them.
But Strahan’s not just making headlines for family stories or furry friends—he’s got his sights set on something big with his beloved Giants. The guy who spent his entire NFL career terrorizing quarterbacks for Big Blue is reportedly putting together a bid to snag a 10 percent minority ownership stake in the team, which went up for sale earlier this year. According to reports, Strahan’s teaming up with billionaire Marc Lasry to make a play for it. With the Giants valued at around $7.5 billion, that’s no small change, but if anyone’s got the heart and hustle to pull it off, it’s Strahan. From dominating on the field to charming audiences on Fox NFL Sunday and GMA, he’s always been about big moves, and owning a piece of the Giants would be the ultimate homecoming for the franchise legend.
This whole saga—pet pigs, family secrets, and NFL ownership dreams—is classic Strahan. The guy’s got a knack for turning life’s curveballs into stories that stick with you, whether he’s sacking quarterbacks or navigating a plot twist that’d make M. Night Shyamalan jealous. As he eyes that Giants stake, you can’t help but root for him to keep rewriting his legacy, one unexpected chapter at a time.
