25 years later, Michael Strahan recalls days after 9/11

The special "9/11: United We Stand -- 25 Years Later" airs Tuesday, Sept. 1.

Michael Strahan will never forget looking out his window in Montclair, New Jersey, and seeing the first World Trade Center tower in flames on Sept. 11, 2001.

Strahan, a former football star turned "Good Morning America" co-anchor, said he never expected he would end up in New York City but fell in love with it after being drafted to the New York Giants, the team he stayed with for 15 seasons of his career.

He's among the athletes, musicians and entertainers who reflected on how their industries worked to bring healing after tragedy for the the ABC News special, "9/11: United We Stand -- 25 Years Later."

An ABC News special, "9/11: United We Stand -- 25 Years Later," airs Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC and streams the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.

In the wake of the attacks, Strahan was one of 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," Strahan said. "That's the biggest show that we wanted to give them, was a show of respect."

The NFL wasn't the only major sports league to use its platform to foster unity and support victims post-9/11.

In fall 2001, the Yankees went to the World Series, and though they ultimately lost the series, commentators say the team's participation in the games that came just over a month after the tragedy unified New Yorkers.

"It became more than just playing baseball," Derek Jeter, then Yankees shortstop, said. "Our job was to bring joy, especially to New York at that time."

Selena Roberts, then sports columnist at the New York Times, noted that the 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.

That fall, a star-studded concert at Madison Square Garden, organized by singer Paul McCartney, brought some of music's biggest names together for a benefit to honor and raise money for 9/11 victims and first responders.

Called The Concert for New York City, the benefit featured singers 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.

"'We got each other and that's a lot.' That's what it is, right?" the singer said. "In that moment in time, when you felt helpless, to have a lyric that is about just simple unity and faith."

Late night talk show hosts also did their part to calm the public's nerves. CBS's David Letterman was the first of the late-night hosts to return on air post-9/11.

During his first show back after the attack, Letterman said, "There's only one requirement of all of us, and that is to be courageous."

Anthony DeCurtis, an author and music critic, said that immediately after 9/11, there was a moment in which people questioned listening to music or going to the theater. That, though, is precisely why we have art, he said.

"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," Curtis said. "This is what we do, and what better time to do it than now?"

Strahan said it was an era where people learned to be more compassionate.

"I'd never seen the level of unity that we had during that time."

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