NEW CASTLE, Del. (AP) - Former football great and “Good Morning America” co-host Michael Strahan visited William Penn High School to deliver a special message to sophomore media student Michael Nastasi.
While Strahan wasn’t there in person - he FaceTimed Nastasi after missing him in New York last month - the smile on Nastasi’s face proved it didn’t really matter.
There was Strahan, the popular “Fox NFL Sunday” analyst, on an iPhone talking just to Nastasi about a similar challenge they both face: a gap between their two front teeth that makes saying some words difficult.
Nastasi, 16, of New Castle, takes classes in William Penn’s new WP Media program and is interested in voiceover work and broadcasting.
He has the voice for it, but when it comes time to say some words, especially those that begin with the letter “s,” he has had difficulty.
That’s how this whole thing got started.
Teacher Gary Phillips has been bringing students to New York for a field trip for years, dating back to his 15-year run teaching at Delcastle Technical High School.
Over the years, he befriended a “Good Morning America” floor manager. So before the planned field trip last month, Phillips got permission from Nastasi’s parents and then reached out to the show.
He explained Nastasi’s situation, thinking Strahan could possibly give him some words of advice and encouragement.
A meeting was scheduled, but Strahan was pulled away to work on another show during their field trip, which also included Nastasi’s father Albert who went to witness the meeting.
Even so, the all-time NFL single-season sack leader wasn’t about to let Nastasi down.
On Feb. 16, Phillips received an email from Strahan with the information for his assistant, asking him to set up a FaceTime chat.
At 11 a.m. on Feb. 20, the moment came.
Strahan’s assistant warned Phillips that Strahan only had a couple of minutes and the call would have to be short, but then the pair started chatting and the call lasted 10 minutes.
“Talking to him was pretty awesome,” says Nastasi, still processing the brush with celebrity. “We started by talking about the gap tooth thing and then it was pretty casual as time went on. He’s cool.”
Even though Strahan wasn’t someone Nastasi necessarily followed during his football and broadcasting careers, getting the chance to speak with someone who faces some of the same challenges he does was a big deal.”He told me I just have to be confident and keep going despite what anyone says,” Nastasi said. “I don’t have to worry about it. I don’t have to change myself.
“I felt great after. It was awesome.”
Phillips said once he had the idea to make the connection with Strahan and Nastasi, he did everything he could to make it happen, even after it didn’t materialize the first time.
“I told his father that I wanted to do this because I think it would be important for him to see that other people in the industry may have faced the same challenges he does,” Phillips said. “And that’s what happened. He gave him incredible advice and had a straight-out conversation with this one kid from Delaware. My student was just grinning from ear to ear.”
The pair talked about everything from school to their weekend plans after discussing their similar smiles, leaving both Nastasi and Phillips glowing.
“As a teacher, you try to find a way to reach students. They’re all teenagers. They all have certain challenges,” Phillips said. “So if you can find a way to reach them at some level to try to make them understand what the world and the industry is about, it may create an incentive for them to go out and try harder to succeed.”
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