Who Did Michael Strahan Play For?

If you have never seen a beast in your life, then you have probably missed out on watching Michael Strahan take the field. Here was a 6 foot 5 inch, 255 lbs strong athlete who had the desire to succeed, the will to be positive, and the athleticism to get by the offensive line in a flash. As he matured in the game, Strahan also became one of the team's best leaders and motivators, especially on defense.

Strahan was a professional football player in the NFL for 15 dominant years. Born in 1971 in Houston, Texas, he was the youngest of six children. Although his mother, Louise Strahan was a basketball coach and his father is a retired major in the army, Strahan most likely became a fan of football following his uncle Art Strahan who also played a few years in the NFL. When he was only 9 years old, the family had to move to Germany due to his father getting posted there. But, as luck would have it, his father sent him back to Houston to live with his uncle before the start of his senior year in high school.

Michael Strahan in High School and College

In Houston, Strahan attended Westbury High School and performed exceptionally in just his one year as a senior which was enough for him to earn a scholarship from Texas Southern University.

Playing for the Tigers football team at Texas Southern, the one time Super Bowl Champion followed in the footsteps of his uncle as he also played the defensive end position. He was so good at his position that many times the opposition had to try and pin him down by double-teaming him. Strahan’s junior year of college was an unbelievable one as he recorded 14.5 quarterback sacks. Continuing to build on his NFL dreams, he performed even better in his senior year with 68 tackles, which included school records of 19 sacks and 32 tackles for a 142-yard loss. Overall, his 41.5 total sacks for the Tigers is still a school record.

Which team did Michael Strahan play for

Michael Strahan’s career in the NFL started in 1993 when he was selected by the New York Giants in the second round. Strahan would ultimately remain loyal to the franchise and play out his entire career with the same team. His 15 glorious years in East Rutherford, New Jersey, were commemorated with his number 92 jersey retirement On November 28, 2021. In 2014, his second year of eligibility, Strahan was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

It took Michael Strahan some time and a good couple of years to develop into the defensive force that would become. His rookie season was marred by injuries which prevented him from playing more than six games. However, the 1997 season was when Strahan really hit his stride picking up 14 sacks on the year and making his first ever Pro Bowl selection. He would then grow on this new found confidence and completely dominate the league in the years to come.

The 2001 season was the best year as far as personal statistics are concerned. Strahan was such a terror on the defensive side of the ball that he wreaked havoc on opposing teams. Along with 73 tackles, the 22.5 sacks in that year broke the record for the most sacks in a year. Even to this day, only T.J. Watt has been able to match that record. Furthermore, he had a career high 6 forced fumbles in the same year and with everything put together, he rightly earned the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year Award.

After the 2006 season, Strahan was on the cusp of hanging up his boots for good. He was absent from the Giants’ training camp and also missed the entire preseason. However, in an afterthought, he decided to come back for one last year which was an excellent decision for him as well as the team since the Giants would go on to deal one of the biggest upsets the game has ever seen.

In 2007, the team went all the way to the Super Bowl on the back of difficult road games in the postseason where they met both the top 2 seeds in their conference along the way. In addition to that, they faced the 19-0 undefeated New England Patriots led by Tom Brady in the Super Bowl and somehow managed to come out on top with a 17-14 win giving Strahan his first and only ring. Thus, Michael Strahan, the defensive freak of nature walked away from the game as a Super Bowl Champion.