Michael Strahan is standing in a small crowd at the back of the 18th green of Bethpage Black. He is discussing golf and unlikely friendships – all in hushed tones while the final celebrities sink the final putts of the Ryder Cup’s All-Star Match.
But conversation soon turns to football and the message from the New York Giants legend is loud and clear: rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart must brace himself for a baptism of fire.
Strahan spoke to the Daily Mail just a day after his old team benched Russell Wilson only three games into his $10.5million contract.
The responsibility for rescuing New York’s season now falls on the shoulders of a first-round draft pick who has played just six snaps in the NFL.
‘It may not be as smooth as everybody anticipates,’ Strahan says. ‘Being in New York is really, really tough.’
The former defensive end knows how heavy wears this particular crown – even at the best of times. Strahan spent more than a decade with the Giants, helping them achieve immortality at Super Bowl XLII.
Giants legend Michael Strahan spoke about New York’s decision to bench Russell Wilson
Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart will take over after a miserable start to the season
Wilson, who joined the Giants on a $10.5million contract, has been benched with New York 0-3
Unfortunately, Dart takes over center with New York 0-3 for the new season. Since December 2023, the Giants have won four regular season games. The rot had set in and begun to spread long before the quarterback arrived last summer.
Former Ole Miss star Dart, 22, has shown flashes of promise and, over recent weeks, many fans wondered what head coach Brian Daboll was waiting for. The answer, it turned out, was Sunday night’s loss against the Kansas City Chiefs, when Wilson was sacked twice and picked off twice.
So a new era begins this weekend, when the Los Angeles Chargers come to town.
‘I’m excited to see him play, I just hope that he can go out there and play well,’ the ex-Good Morning America anchor says. ‘If he doesn’t, or if it’s rough – because it’s the hardest position on the football field – (I hope) he doesn’t lose his confidence.
‘Because being in New York is really, really tough. You get beat up by the media and a lot of guys don’t recover.
‘That’s why New York is tough for most guys to come here and play.’ Thankfully, Strahan believes Dart is made of stronger stuff than most.
‘I think Jaxson is built for it,’ he explains. ‘I think he’ll do well.’ What gives the NFL legend that confidence?
‘He just seems comfortable. He’s big, he’s fast, he throws a great football, he’s decisive – which is one of the toughest things to be as the quarterback. So I think he has a big upside.’
‘He’s big, he’s fast, he throws a great football and he’s decisive,’ Strahan said about Dart
The NFL legend played in the Ryder Cup All-Star match at Bethpage Black on Wednesday
Fans will soon discover just how high Dart’s ceiling really is. Before then, though, the eyes of New York and beyond are trained on Bethpage.
Strahan was one of the A-listers selected to represent the USA in the All-Star match against Europe. Eli Manning, Brooklyn Beckham, John McEnroe and Catherine Zeta-Jones were also among those who took on 10 holes of this brutal course.
Many took the scenic route from tee to green. Strahan, in fairness, is a handy golfer who regularly rubs shoulders with professionals at his home club in Florida.
On Wednesday, he partnered country singer Miranda Lambert in a match against Zeta-Jones and Spanish basketball legend Pau Gasol.
On the 18th green, the NFL legend holed his putt, pumped his fist and then whipped up the home crowd. For a moment, he looked like he belonged on this stage.
‘To be out here playing Bethpage Black, ahead of the Ryder Cup, feeling like you’re really a part of Team USA or Team Europe, is a special experience,’ he says.
Strahan and his fellow Americans will hope this curtain-raiser is also a sign of things to come. Team USA won three of the four matches. On Friday morning, in front of Donald Trump, the real show begins.
Strahan is a handy golfer who regularly rubs shoulders with pros at his home club in Florida
‘Oh, man,’ Strahan says. ‘I hope Team USA wins, but obviously it’s not going to be easy. Team Europe have been together a long time, (they have) a lot of experience.’
Luke Donald has picked only one rookie – Rasmus Hojgaard – compared to four among Keegan Bradley’s 12. Strahan has a tip for them all.
‘You got to hit the ball high and long here,’ he says. The 53-year-old is usually the one receiving advice from the best golfers on earth. Some are close friends – including someone on the opposing team this week.
‘Justin Rose – I love Rosey,’ he says. ‘He’s one of my boys. (Brooks) Koepka is one of my guys. I belong to a golf course with everybody from Rory to you-name-them, they’re all there.
‘I’m friends with enough of these guys, but the guys I spend most time with would be Koepka and Rose. These guys are incredible golfers, incredible friends, incredible competitors and I learned: don’t bet them!’
He continues; ‘I get to play with quite a few of them. And then we have an incredible member-member tournament… it’s one of the great joys of my life because you get a chance to see guys be more than just what they do for a living.
‘And I think that’s the best thing about it: they’re all great guys, family guys, fun guys who love what they do for a living and also love to have a good time on a golf course.’
The former defensive end has struck up a close friendship with Europe star Justin Rose
Strahan enjoys picking their brains. The best tip he ever received came from an American who missed out on Bradley’s final 12. But both teams would do well to heed his words this week.
‘Tony Finau told me (something), which really helped,’ Strahan explains. ‘Whenever you play against someone in a match and, say they’re in trouble and you’re in a good position, Tony told me: Don’t ever assume they’re not going to hit a good ball. Always be ready.
‘Amateurs do a job of saying: “Oh yeah, I got this.” And then you have to recharge yourself or refocus. Tony taught me how to focus on the golf course, to make sure that you’re always in every hole.’
Maybe even Dart could take something from that lesson.
