EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Michael Strahan, the Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end who played his entire 15-year career for the Giants, will have his No. 92 jersey retired on Nov. 28 when the Giants host the Philadelphia Eagles.
Strahan was a captain on the Giants' 2007 Super Bowl XLII championship team, a four-time first-team All-Pro, a seven-time Pro Bowler and the NFL AP Defensive Player of the Year in 2001 when he set the league's single-season record with 22.5 sacks, a mark that still stands 20 years later. He was a charter member of the Giants' Ring of honor.
"Michael Strahan was one of the greatest players in franchise history," said John Mara, the Giants president and chief executive officer. "He deserves to have his number retired as other Giants immortals have, including Mel Hein, Frank Gifford and Lawrence Taylor.
"Michael's career was defined by his achievements, his consistency and his leadership. Very few defensive ends played the position as well as Michael. He was a tremendous run defender as well as a great pass rusher. And he realized a goal every player aspires to, but few achieve, winning a Super Bowl in his final game. We are grateful for all his contributions and are happy to officially say no Giants player will ever wear No. 92 again."
"Michael Strahan was a Hall of Fame player and he is a Hall of Fame person," said Giants chairman and executive vice president Steve Tisch. "Only the very best players get their jerseys retired and Michael is in that category in Giants history and NFL history, as well. He was the consummate defensive end, a team captain and a winner who helped lead us to the greatest victory in our history in Super Bowl XLII."
Tickets for Michael Strahan Ceremony
Limited tickets are available for Michael Strahan's jersey retirement game on November 28th
Strahan's jersey will be the second retired by the Giants this season. On Sept. 26, Eli Manning will be inducted into the Ring of Honor and his No. 10 will be permanently removed from circulation when the Giants host the Atlanta Falcons.
The two retirements will increase to 12 the jersey numbers that will never again be worn by Giants players. The others are No. 1 (Ray Flaherty), 4 (Tuffy Leemans), 7 (Mel Hein), 11 (Phil Simms), 14 (Ward Cuff and Y.A. Tittle), 16 (Frank Gifford), 32 (Al Blozis), 40 (Joe Morrison), 42 (Charlie Conerly), 50 (Ken Strong) and 56 (Lawrence Taylor).
Strahan joined the Giants as a second-round draft choice in 1993 – No. 40 overall – but he was the first selection that year for the team, which did not have a first-round pick.
Strahan played for the Giants from 1993-2007. He joins Manning, Simms and Hein as the only players in franchise history to wear a Giants uniform for at least 15 seasons. Strahan's 216 regular-season games played are second in Giants history to Manning's 236.
Strahan owns the franchise career record with 141.5 sacks. It was the fifth-highest total in NFL history when he announced his retirement on June 9, 2008 and 14 years after he played his final game, it is still the sixth-highest total (since 1982, when sacks became an official statistic). Strahan is the only Giants player to twice lead the league in sacks. He also holds the Giants' postseason record with 9.5 sacks.
View photos of Pro Football Hall of Famer and Giants legend Michael Strahan.
The 6-5, 255-pound Strahan was credited with 868 regular-season tackles. He was a first-team All-Pro in 1997, 1998, 2001 and 2003. Strahan was selected to his first Pro Bowl in 1997 and his seventh in 2005. Only four Giants played in more Pro Bowls and all are Hall of Famers: Taylor (10), linebacker Harry Carson (9), offensive tackle Rosie Brown (9) and cornerback Emlen Tunnell (8).
In addition to his impressive statistics, Strahan was a team leader whose gregariousness, insight and humor made him a go-to guy for the media and a favorite among his teammates. The defensive line meeting room has long been known as an area where thick skin is requisite, in part because of Strahan's skill at delivering – and his willingness to receive – a cutting barb.
Strahan was a captain of the 2007 Giants team that won Super Bowl XLII. In his final game on Feb. 3, 2008, Strahan had three tackles, two quarterback hits and knocked down a pass in the Giants' 17-14 defeat of the 18-0 New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Fittingly, the last tackle of his career was a six-yard sack of Tom Brady in the third quarter.
Since his retirement, Strahan has remained a popular public figure who is currently a host of Good Morning America and an analyst on FOX NFL Sunday.