Michael & Isabella Strahan

The former NFL star and current morning television darling has long been a supporter of cancer charities. But when his own daughter got sick, he saw the playing field from a whole new perspective.

- TIM TEEMAN

F irst, Isabella Strahan realized she couldn't walk in a straight line. On a hike, her friends asked if she was about to fall off the mountain. A doctor thought she had an ear infection. Then she threw up blood.

Last October Isabella, daughter of Michael Strahan Good Morning America anchor, Fox NFL Sunday presenter, and Hall of Fame defensive end for the New York Giants-was just a few weeks into her freshman year at USC when she was diagnosed with a medulloblastoma, a type of malignant tumor, in her cerebellum.

Three surgeries followed, along with six weeks of radiation and four rounds of chemotherapy, a journey Isabella charted in a raw, honest, funny, informative, and moving series of videos on her YouTube channel. As her followers have seen, Isabella has had to relearn how to walk and talk, and her recovery is ongoing.

Now officially cancer-free, she has shared with her social media followers a picture of a handwritten note that reads, "Believe that things will get better. No matter what, keep going! F--k cancer!" On August 20 a selfie taken with her mom Jean Muggli was captioned "Back at USC" A video showed her dancing in her new apartment.

"I get to start my freshman year again, and I hope I'm there for longer than 50 days this time," Isabella says, as she sits beside Michael after their T&C photo shoot. The soft-spoken Isabella is "really excited" to return to studying journalism and communications (she has received course credits for her videos), as well as making friends and enjoying college life.

"I can't wait for her to be back at college and live, to get back to what she was doing before and have fun, sororities, football games," Michael says. Then, in a very Dad voice, he adds, "And most of all go to class and get great grades." Both father and daughter laugh. They are sweetly close, joshing