(Twitter/@JRSportBrief)Michael Strahan gets a hug from his co-host Kelly Ripa on his first day on the "Live!" morning show, Sept. 4, 2012.
Former Giants player Michael Strahan has opened up in a recent interview about the gap between his teeth. The NFL pro admitted that he considered having it fixed but decided to take a stand instead.
"This is who I am," Strahan said during a recent interview, addressing the gap between his two front teeth. The player, now retired, has recently become the new Live! Host and at 41, is more concerned about his two daughters than his need to look perfect.
In his 20s, Strahan admitted that he had seriously considered having the gap between his two teeth closed.
"I was at the dentist having him do mock-ups. I thought about it, man … I was in my twenties," he confessed to Elle magazine. "I was playing with the Giants. There's so much pressure to be perfect. You can fix anything now."
But it wasn't about the need to be perfect Strahan said. It was about the need to be himself.
"For me, I made the conscious effort to say, 'This is who I am.' I'm not perfect. I don't want to be perfect," he added. "At this point, I don't think my kids would recognize me without it."
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Now, as a father figure, Strahan says that it's important for his daughters to believe in steady, dependable relationships despite his own marriage difficulties.
"Even though I'm not with their mother, it's important for my kids to see adults in a committed and happy relationship. They need to see a strong relationship. You don't have to settle," the former NFL player told the magazine.
After two divorces, Strahan now hopes one of those committed relationships will be his own with Nicole Murphy, the ex-wife of comedian Eddie Murphy.
"I can be myself," Strahan said, of being with his new fiancé. "I have someone who gets along with my family, and who gets along with my friends … And we have a lot of the same interests. Life is just a lot more peaceful. [After two divorces] I definitely believe in marriage."
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