And since then he has gone from strength to strength, establishing himself as one of the competition's most feared competitors.
With 20 league appearances last season and 22 already this time round - with the Belfast Final still to come - Strauss has developed into one of head coach Gregor Townsend's main men.
He has helped marshal a forward pack that has powered the Warriors to the final, winning the Rhino Collision Kings award - handed to the league's most-improved side at the breakdown - along the way.
And if Glasgow are to complete their rise with the GUINNESS PRO12 trophy at the Kingspan Stadium this weekend, you can be confident Strauss will have had a serious hand in getting them there.
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