It’s no secret by now that New York Giants Corridor of Fame defensive finish Michael Strahan and former Philadelphia Eagles offensive deal with Jon Runyan are long-time mates.
It didn’t begin out that method. The 2 males had been fierce rivals on the sector with Runyon charged with preserving Strahan off Donovan McNabb’s again.
Strahan lately instructed Giants.com’s Michael Eisen the story of how their friendship was cast again in 2002 on the Professional Bowl by Runyan’s spouse, Loretta.
“We’re hanging out by the pool, and there’s this good woman speaking to me,” Strahan mentioned. “She mentioned, ‘It is best to meet my husband. There’s simply households hanging out.’ And I’m like, ‘Okay, I’ll meet your husband.’ Freaking Jon Runyan. It was his spouse (Loretta). She set me up.
“I’d by no means had a dialog with him, by no means desired to. We actually talked there, and from then on, I may play robust and exhausting in opposition to him, however I couldn’t hate him. I needed to channel one thing else in addition to considering I needed to hate the man to play properly in opposition to him as a result of he’s such a pleasant man, such a very good man, and his spouse was such a sweetheart. I can’t hate this man.”
Runyan was talked about in Strahan’s Corridor of Fame acceptance speech, an occasion during which Runyon — and his son, Jon Jr. — attended.
“You made me a scholar of the sport”@michaelstrahan praises Jon Runyan Jr.’s father throughout his Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame induction speech pic.twitter.com/3BaCyYTJle
— New York Giants (@Giants) March 15, 2024
This week, when the Giants signed Jon Runyan Jr. to a free agent contract, the connection got here ‘full circle’ because the youthful Runyon acknowledged.
Strahan bought a kick out of his previous crew including the son of his nemesis/pal this week.
“Certainly one of my favourite issues is figuring out that Jon Runyan has to root for the Giants,” Strahan mentioned, laughing. “That was the very first thing that got here to my thoughts, ‘Thank God, now Jon has to truly root for the Giants. That is going to be superior.’”