Michael Strahan breaks silence after national anthem controversy sparks outrage

Ex-New York Giants DE Michael Strahan is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Reportedly, the NFL HOFer did not place his hand on his chest as the national anthem played during Fox’s annual Veterans Day celebration at a U.S. military base.

As Strahan's gesture had NFL fans guessing whether it was a quiet mark of protest, he took to Instagram to clarify himself.

“I have nothing to protest,” he posted on Tuesday night without any sugarcoating words.

Strahan added:

“I didn’t have my hand over my chest. Everyone thought, ‘He’s protesting, he’s making a statement,’ which is so far from the truth. I have no statement to be made. The only statement that should be made and that I wanna make is that I love the military. I’ve always loved the military, and I will always love the military.”

That said, Michael Strahan's ties with the US military run deep.

Michael Strahan's father was in the US Army

Gene Willie Strahan, the late father of Michael Strahan, was a retired Army Major. Therefore, Strahan has grown up in a military base, which further strengthens his case that he understands the values and sacrifices that come with military life.

“I’m looking at all these young sailors standing there at attention before the national anthem played, and I’m thinking to myself, ‘How incredible? How incredible to be that young and to know that you wanna do this?’ Like, it’s such a commitment, but you’re willing to commit to something that you know gives us our freedoms, plain and simple. I’m just sitting there in amazement," he contined on the same IG Story.

Before wrapping up, he apologized to all the "military and veterans" who were offended and declared that nothing was intended.

Moreover, now that Strahan has come clear, Fox Sports has decided to not penalize him for his "honest mistake" – something which angry fans were demanding from the network.