Former NFL defensive end and Good Morning America co-anchor Michael Strahan has offered a glimpse into why interviewing can be more difficult than sitting on the other side of the conversation, weeks after his interview with former NFL running back Chris Johnson drew criticism.

Speaking on The Mac Daddy Show, Strahan said the challenge comes from having to listen, anticipate where an answer might lead, and be ready to take the conversation in several different directions.

“I think interviewing obviously is harder because you have to, even if you know somebody, you have to listen, and for me, GMA had been doing live with Kelly was different because that was kind of general brush surface stuff. It’s pretty simple,” Strahan said during the podcast two weeks ago.

That comment came after Johnson’s June 29 appearance on GMA, which brought fresh attention to Strahan’s role in the interview. Johnson revealed that he had been diagnosed with ALS in 2025 at 39, and the former Tennessee Titans star was using a speech device controlled by his eyes after losing much of his ability to speak.

Johnson said he first noticed weakness in his right hand while still working out and spending time with his wife, Brittany, and their four children. Doctors believe he has sporadic ALS, with no known family history. He chose to share his story hoping it could help others recognize symptoms sooner, encourage ALS research, or give another family facing the disease some hope.

But the interview quickly became a different kind of story once viewers noticed what was not discussed.

Johnson spent a decade in the NFL, including six seasons with the Titans, and his football record is impossible to separate from his public identity. He became known as CJ2K after rushing for 2,006 yards in 2009 and setting the NFL record with 2,509 yards from scrimmage that season. He finished his career with 9,651 rushing yards.

That history made the absence of a direct question about football and ALS stand out to some critics. Sports media personalities, including Dan Le Batard and journalist Jeff Pearlman questioned why Strahan did not ask whether Johnson believed his football career had contributed to his condition or whether knowing what he knows now would change his feelings about playing.

The criticism also had a factual basis behind it. Research has found that former NFL players face a substantially higher risk of ALS than the general population. A study involving thousands of NFL players found they were four times more likely to be diagnosed with ALS, while greater exposure to professional football was associated with increased risk.

Football has not been proven to have caused Johnson’s ALS. Still, the history made the subject hard to avoid, especially given his years in the NFL.

Strahan, though, saw the GMA interview differently. To him, it was Johnson’s chance to tell his story on his own terms, not a moment for the interviewer to force the most uncomfortable question into the conversation. He also said football was discussed, including the NFL’s support for Johnson and the fact that his twin sons play the sport.

“I was there as a service to Chris, for what Chris wanted people to understand and know about his life and where he was now,” Strahan revealed in late July

Johnson, meanwhile, has not publicly turned the controversy into a fight with Strahan. His message surrounding the interview has remained focused on his diagnosis and the reason he chose to speak publicly in the first place.

“ALS has changed what my body can do, but it hasn’t changed who I am,” Johnson said during the GMA interview.

“But then, when you’re interviewing somebody, you know, it’s a serious topic. So you have to understand how, you know, what’s going on, obviously, but also anticipate,” Strahan said.

His argument is really about what an interviewer owes the person sitting across from them. The criticism says Strahan missed an important football question. Strahan’s response is that asking every obvious question is not always the same thing as telling someone’s story well.