Michael Strahan Revisits Post-9/11 Healing in ABC News Special

A Personal Recollection

Michael Strahan, the former New York Giants defensive end turned "Good Morning America" co-anchor, still remembers the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, with striking clarity. Looking out his window in Montclair, New Jersey, he saw the first World Trade Center tower in flames. The image, he has said, is one he will never forget.

Strahan was a little more than halfway through his NFL career at the time, having spent all 15 seasons with the Giants. On the team's practice field outside MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, he recalled seeing a parking lot full of cars. "I remember seeing cars – a parking lot full of cars for people who were never coming back to claim those cars," he said, describing the area around the stadium. "It was something that just smacked you in the face."

The Special

These memories motivated Strahan to pursue a different kind of 9/11 retrospective. The result is ABC News' "9/11: United We Stand – 25 Years Later," a two-hour program airing Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 9 m. ET on ABC and streaming the next day on Disney+ and Hulu. The special explores how sports, music, comedy, and the arts helped the country move forward after the attacks, which claimed nearly 3,000 lives.

Strahan and his producing partner Constance Schwartz-Morini, along with others, sought to emphasize the joyful, inspirational, and cathartic moments the nation experienced in the days after the attacks. The program features interviews with Derek Jeter, Jon Bon Jovi, Matthew Broderick, Billy Crystal, Pete Davidson, Jimmy Fallon, Mark Messier, Jon Stewart, and Strahan's ABC News colleagues Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, and Martha Raddatz. It was produced by SMAC Productions, A+E Factual Studios, Derek Jeter's Cap 2 Productions, and The Montag Group for ABC News Studios.

Sports and Unity

In the wake of the attacks, Strahan was among the players who pushed for the cancellation of that weekend's football games out of respect for those lost. He also contributed to an NFL-wide effort to provide disaster relief and support to victims and their families. "What were we gonna do? Sit at home? No, we wanted to collectively get together and offer whatever kind of assistance that we could at Ground Zero," he said. "That's the biggest show that we wanted to give them, was a show of respect."

The Giants were on the road for their first few games that season. Twelve days after the attacks, they played the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Strahan described the response from Chiefs fans: "They were passing around firemen helmets and police caps to the fans in the stands. They raised hundreds of thousands of dollars that the team matched to just show their love and support – not just for New York City but for the country as a whole. We all had to heal."

The Yankees also played a role in unifying New Yorkers. In fall 2001, the team went to the World Series, and though they ultimately lost, commentators say the team's participation in the games, which came just over a month after the tragedy, brought the city together. "It became more than just playing baseball," Derek Jeter, then the Yankees shortstop, said. "Our job was to bring joy, especially to New York at that time."

Selena Roberts, then a sports columnist at the New York Times, noted that leagues recognized their role in a difficult time. "After Sept. 11, players and coaches absolutely knew that they had a platform and a responsibility to be there for the public, and I think in so many ways, really did help heal people," she said.

Music and Comedy

Music was another source of comfort. Paul McCartney organized a star-studded concert at Madison Square Garden to honor and raise money for 9/11 victims and first responders. The Concert for New York City featured David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, and McCartney, among others. Bon Jovi reflected on the meaning of his band's song "Livin' on a Prayer" in that moment, quoting the lyric "We got each other and that's a lot." Jon Bon Jovi and Paul McCartney also hosted concerts for first responders after the attacks.

Comedy and late-night television also helped calm the public's nerves. CBS's David Letterman was the first of the late-night hosts to return on air post-9/11. "There's only one requirement of all of us, and that is to be courageous," Letterman said.

Anthony DeCurtis, an author and music critic, said there was a moment in which people questioned listening to music or going to the theater immediately after 9/11. "At moments like that, you know, you want artists who are going to help us understand and come to terms with the things in our lives that are the most frightening things," he said.

A Personal Interview

One of the most poignant parts of the special is a candid interview with Pete Davidson. Davidson's father, Scott Matthew Davidson, was a New York City firefighter who died on 9/11 when his son was 7 years old. Davidson has declined past offers to take part in 9/11 remembrance specials and events. "To have Pete in it really meant the world because you can see still a lot of emotion for him tied behind it, but at the same time, you watch this guy have the ability to take that pain and make you laugh at times when you're going through something," Strahan said.

A Legacy of Compassion

Strahan said the era taught people to be more compassionate. "I'd never seen the level of unity that we had during that time," he said. The special highlights the triumphant return of Broadway shows including "The Producers" after the Rialto resumed performances on Sept. 13.

ABC News has hosted a few screenings of the special in New York in advance of its premiere. Strahan, who joined "Good Morning America" in 2016 after stints on "Fox NFL Sunday" and "Live With Kelly and Michael," said being part of one of New York's highest-profile sports teams at a time when the city felt under siege was a profound experience that taught him about the deeper meaning of sports.