Michael Strahan
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| Michael Strahan | |
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| Position(s): Defensive end |
Jersey #(s): 92 |
| Born: November 21, 1971 Houston, Texas |
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| Career Information | |
| Year(s): 1993–2007 | |
| NFL Draft: 1993 / Round: 2 / Pick: 40 | |
| College: Texas Southern | |
| Professional Teams | |
| Career Stats | |
| Tackles | 854 |
| Sacks | 141.5 |
| Interceptions | 4 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
| Career Highlights and Awards | |
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Michael Anthony Strahan (pronounced /STRAY-han/) (born November 21, 1971 in Houston, Texas), is a former American football defensive end who played his entire NFL career for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He played High School Football at Westbury High School. He played college football at Texas Southern University and was drafted in the second round of the 1993 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. Strahan was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press in 2001. He has also co-written an autobiography titled Inside the Helmet: Life as a Sunday Afternoon Warrior.
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[edit] College career
As a senior at Texas Southern, was selected All-America first team by The Poor Man's Guide to the NFL Draft, Sheridan Network and Associated Press when he recorded 62 tackles with a school-record 19 quarterback sacks and 32 tackles totaling 142 yards in losses...Selected Division I-AA Defensive Player of the Year by The Poor Man's Guide...In 1992 was 1st team All-Southwestern Athletic Conference and SWAC's Player of the Year for the 2nd consecutive season...Was named Black College Defensive Player of the Year...As a junior in 1991, Strahan led the SWAC with 14.5 quarterback sacks. His 41.5 career sacks is a Texas Southern record.
[edit] Awards and honors
- 2x First-team All-SWAC (1991-1992)
- 2x SWAC Defensive Player of the Year (1991-1992)
- First-team AP All-American (1992)
[edit] Professional career
He holds the NFL record for sacks in a single season with 22.5, breaking New York Jets great Mark Gastineau's total of 22 in the 2001 season. Before the sack that enabled Strahan to set the record, Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre spoke briefly with him. On the next play, Favre dropped back as if to pass, then suddenly scrambled towards the side that Strahan was rushing from, abruptly diving onto the ground, allowing Strahan to fall on top of him for an easy sack. After the play, during the ensuing celebration, many of the Giants' defensive players patted Favre on the helmet. At least one observer accused Favre of deliberately falling to ensure that Strahan would get the record.[1] Mike Freeman, New York Times columnist wrote: "Yes, Mr. Favre, Strahan deserves the record, but please, handing it to him the way you did, as if you were throwing change into a Salvation Army bucket, is the kind of mistake Favre may never live down."[2]
When he recorded a sack in the 2006 season, he and his teammates pretended to take a basketball jumpshot while saying BALLIN' (from the Jim Jones rap video "We Fly High"). This team celebration was short-lived however, as officials then threatened to penalize the team with a 15 Yard Unsportsmanlike "Celebration" should they continue as a group.
Strahan retired with 141.5 career sacks, 794 career tackles, 4 career interceptions, 21 forced fumbles and 2 career touchdowns in 200 games over a 15 year career (through 2007 season). Throughout the greater part of the 2004 season, Strahan was injured with a torn pectoral muscle, which limited him to only 4 sacks. He rebounded in 2005, returning to the Pro Bowl, with his protégé, Osi Umenyiora as the two combined for 26 sacks while anchoring the Giants' defense.
On October 23, 2006, with a sack of Drew Bledsoe in a Monday night game against the Dallas Cowboys, Strahan tied Lawrence Taylor for the Giants franchise record for most career sacks with 132.5. On September 30, 2007, he sacked Donovan McNabb from the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football, increasing his career total to 133.5, setting a new franchise record. This total does not include 9.5 sacks accrued by Taylor in his rookie season of 1981, the year before sacks became an official NFL statistic.
On Sunday February 3rd, 2008 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, Strahan had 2 tackles and 1 sack in Super Bowl XLII. Bolstered by a strong defense and unrelenting pass rush, the Giants went on to win the game 17-14, over the then-undefeated New England Patriots, giving Strahan his first Super Bowl victory in 15 seasons as an NFL starter.
On June 9, 2008 Michael retired from the NFL. He told Jay Glazer of Foxsports.com "It's time, I'm done."[3]
[edit] In the media
- An infamous April fools prank (2004) produced an on-screen brawl with Tom Arnold during an episode of "The Best Damn Sports Show Period," in which Strahan allowed Arnold to get the better of him. The two also worked together as judges for the December 7, 2004 contest "America's Craziest Sports Fan" sponsored by MSN.com.
- In late 2006, Michael Strahan did a Subway commercial with corporate image Jared Fogle. In it, Strahan and Fogle argue over why Subway sandwiches are better than those of the competition.
- During the first half of the 2006 NFL season, Strahan appeared in Pizza Hut commercials alongside other notable NFL icons.
- Strahan appeared in a long-running commercial for Right Guard antiperspirant in a comedy role where his foul odor made fans pass out. Strahan is seen playing golf in front of a crowd -- the sport is one of his favorite pastimes.
- Strahan also appeared in a Snickers commercial. In this commercial, a Dallas Cowboys fan says to Strahan, "How 'bout them Cowboys!" A voice-over responds, "Forgetting you're in New York: another unfortunate side-effect of hunger," while Strahan charges toward the rival fan.
- Strahan was the host of the home improvement program Backyard Stadiums on DIY Network, where he and a team of contractors and gardeners lay out sports courses and goals in backyards [4].
- In 2007, Strahan appeared in commercials promoting the new format of the PSP, where a gamer constantly annoys him about the new system
- On October 8, 2007, Strahan was a special guest during the opening segment of CNBC's Mad Money with Jim Cramer and promoted his new book "Inside the Helmet: Life as a Sunday Afternoon Warrior".
- In early 2008, Strahan, along with Osi Umenyiora, appeared in a commercial for GGW.
- Strahan was featured on the cover of the final video game of the NFL Blitz series.
- In the 2007/2008 NFL season, Strahan appeared in an advertisement for the NFL's SuperAd. The commercial featured a story of a crazed Giants fan who got Strahan's autograph tattooed on his arm, shortly after Strahan himself autographed it in marker on his arm. The commercial is clearly highlighted by Michael Strahan's description of his meal at iHop (where he met the fan), "Gonna soak down some pancakes, some bacon, and some eggs" - with a heavy emphasis on eggs, "Eyyygggzzaahhhh".
[edit] Personal
- In early 2007, Strahan's ex-wife received $15 million in a divorce settlement,[5] which was more than half his assets.
- In February 2008, Strahan and Giants teammate Justin Tuck teamed up with Nike to design their own exclusive pair of sneakers for ID studio in New York City. All proceeds of the sneakers were donated to Nike’s Let Me Play global campaign.[6]
[edit] References
- ^ When the record fell, shame rose
- ^ Mike Freeman, Cheap Sack Will Cost Favre and Strahan, New York Times, Jan. 7, 2002, D2.
- ^ Coming off Super Bowl win, Strahan to retire
- ^ HOME IMPROVEMENT : Sports-Related Additions : Building a Backyard Sports Complex : DIY Network
- ^ Judge orders Strahan to pay $15 million to his ex-wife from Associated Press, posted January 16, 2007.
- ^ Garafolo, Mike (2008-02-20). The Giants Get Their Design On. Complex Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-03-10.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Ray Lewis |
NFL Defensive Player of the Year 2001 |
Succeeded by Derrick Brooks |
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