Gary, I have been salting and peppering steaks prior to grilling for decades ...
In my teens I worked in a deli-butcher shop, and my wife's uncle had his own butcher shop where I would help him on weekends when I could ... I know that strip steak is not quite as tender as filet mignon (that doesn't mean they are tough at all) but personally, I don't mind giving up a little tenderness for the better flavor of a strip over filet ...
JMHO