Veterans Day on Fox NFL Sunday has been a constant, yet it hits differently every year. It brings everyone closer to the heart of the nation, year after year. And on this year’s Veterans Day special, Michael Strahan did something that celebrated the sacrifices of one very deserving U.S. Army veteran.

As veteran John Dinwiddle prepared to rejoin the civilian workforce, Fox NFL Kickoff host Charissa Thompson had a small chat with him.

“You’re getting back into the workforce, and you might need to have some new suits because…you look good, you play good, and you feel good. So, I think our friend Michael Strahan can help you out with that,” Thompson told him.

That’s when Strahan stepped in. He first expressed his gratitude for the veteran’s service to the nation, then surprised him with a suit from his Michael Strahan collection. 

“I got you. Mr. Dinwiddle. First of all, thank you so much for your service. We appreciate that. And I have the Michael Strahan collection suits, which we’re all wearing up here, and we want to make sure we take care of you,” Strahan said. “You’re getting back into the workforce. We want to make sure you go back to the workforce with a lot of confidence, all the confidence in the world that you can have. And you know, I played against Emmitt Smith. There’s nothing that will make me happier than to see you in one of my suits instead of that cowboy jersey [#22].”

And if there’s one thing Strahan swears by? It’s confidence. He launched his Michael Strahan Collection in 2015. The former defensive end has lived by a simple principle: when you look good, you feel confident.

But that gesture by Strahan made Dinwiddle feel supported. The veteran spoke simply about the meaningful help he has been receiving from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). He described himself as feeling fortunate and a “believer.”

Thompson followed with, “We can’t thank you enough for your service, and you’re going to look even better than you already do in that new Michael Strahan suit.” And Strahan closed the exchange with, “We’re honored. Thank you. We’re honored.” 

However, just before Strahan’s surprise, the Fox NFL Sunday crew set the Veterans Day tone with a message that felt larger than football.

Rob Gronkowski’s salute to America’s heroes

The Fox NFL Sunday cast, including Michael Strahan, Rob Gronkowski, Curt Menefee, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Charissa Thompson, Charles Woodson, and Julian Edelman, came together to honor the military on Veterans Day.

“I know we’re here to do for football Sunday, but this is about our armed services. So, thank you to everybody here, everybody around the world. Give us our freedom, folks,” Strahan said, leading the charge.

Gronkowski followed with his own take. “No doubt about that. Every Sunday we went out and played free on the football field. They supported us, and now we want to give back to our military and veterans all over the world. And we thank you guys for being here and bringing the energy that you guys are bringing.”

This annual Veterans Day tribute is a time-honoured tradition that has been ongoing for over two decades. From visiting the USS Harry S. Truman in the Mediterranean Sea in 2000 to covering military academies like West Point, the tradition continues to bring the NFL community and viewers closer to those who served in the armed forces.