Michael Strahan: Fun Facts About the Newest 'LIVE!' Co-Host

Sept. 4, 2012 — -- intro: Michael Strahan made a career on the football field, but the 6-foot-5 former NFL defensive end will now be coming to homes across America on a daily basis, after being announced this morning as the new co-host of "LIVE! with Kelly and Michael."

Strahan, 40, is best known for his 15 years as defensive end for the New York Giants and more recently as a football analyst on "Fox NFL Sunday." After joining Kelly Ripa in the past few months as occasional guest host since Regis Philbin's retirement, he quickly won audiences over with his charm, wit and mega-watt smile.

While audiences will surely get to know Ripa's spirited new co-host in the 25th season of "Live!" here are a few fun facts about American's newest morning-show host.

RELATED: Michael Strahan Joins Kelly Ripa for "LIVE!"

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title: Strahan's Childhood Abroad

text: Strahan was born in Houston but spent the majority of his youth in Mannheim, Germany, where his father was in the Army, then in business. Strahan didn't start playing football until his father sent him back to Texas in his senior year of high school, where he played at Westbury High School. Strahan won a scholarship to play college football after that season.

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title: Strahan, the Actor

text: In addition to hosting television shows, Strahan also acted. In 2009, he starred in "Brothers," a short-lived Fox sitcom. He played a retired football player who moves to his hometown to be with his brother, whose own football career ended after a car accident.

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title: Strahan, the Activist

text: Strahan is an outspoken supporter of gay marriage rights. In June 2011, he filmed a pro-gay marriage commercial in which he said, "As a defensive end for the New York Giants, I always played the game tough, but fair. And I feel it's unfair to keep committed couples from being married."

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title: Strahan's Love Life

text: Strahan has been married twice. His first marriage was to Wanda Hutchins in Germany, with whom he has two children. Later, he wed Jean Muggli, with whom he had twin daughters. Strahan's marriage to Muggli ended with a drawn-out, acrimonious divorce. Muggli asked for $15 million in the divorce settlement, and $18,000 in monthly child support. The divorce judge ordered that their mansion be auctioned and the money be evenly split.

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title: Strahan's Fiancee

text: Strahan has not been completely unlucky in love. He is engaged to Nicole Murphy, the former wife of Eddie Murphy, to whom she was married from 1993 to 2006. Strahan's bride-to-be appeared in the VH1 reality-TV series "Hollywood Exes." The couple recently listed their home in Hermosa Beach at $1.849 million.

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title: Strahan's Crooked Fingers

text: "It's all from grabbing people," he said in an interview posted to YouTube. "You know when you're running and grabbing somebody and you try to jerk them? After the play is over and your fingers [bend]? You don't come out of a football game because of a finger. So you suck it up. They tape it together and you go play again. The next day looks like two put together. But you deal with it."