Congressman Jon Runyan -- I COULD STILL TAKE MICHAEL STRAHAN!

Doesn't matter that he's gone from lineman to congressman ... ex-Eagles star Jon Runyan tells TMZ Sports he could still take former NFL rival Michael Strahan ... and gives a great reason why.

40-year-old Runyan was walking around Capitol Hill yesterday when we asked if he felt Strahan has "gone soft" since taking over morning host duties on "GMA."

Runyan's response is classic.

For the record, the two had a very heated rivalry on the field -- who can forget when Strahan ran him over in the 2000 NFC Championships -- but off the field, they actually had a ton of respect for each other.

In fact, Strahan has said Runyan is one of the top 2 players he ever faced ... ever.