Out of this world: Pro Football Hall of Fame displays football taken to space

CANTON – The Pro Football Hall of Fame has a new out of this world piece of memorabilia.

The football that Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan took on his journey to space on Blue Origin's New Shepard-19 flight is on display in the museum's Pro Football Today Gallery.

"Flying to space with Blue Origin was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will never forget," Strahan said in a prepared statement. "It’s an honor to have this special football on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, where fans of space travel and the game of football can share in the journey with me."

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The football isn't the only space-related item at the museum. The Hall of Fame’s collection includes several other pieces of memorabilia that have been to space, including jerseys, signed photographs, another football and a coin once used at the Super Bowl.

But it's the first football taken to space by a Hall of Famer to be donated. The football will be on permanent display.

Strahan, who played 15 seasons with the New York Giants, won a Super Bowl and AP Defensive Player of the Year award. He retired in 2007 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

He's now a co-anchor on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Strahan was part of Blue Origin’s third human flight on Dec. 11, and the first with six astronauts on board.

Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said the museum is "proud to be part of commemorating the historic moment of Michael being the first Pro Football Hall of Famer to go to space."

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Pro Football Hall of Fame displays Michael Strahan space football