What Is Being Said About Strahan’s Retirement

I’ll always be totally indebted to Michael for what he did last season, the leadership he brought. As a first-year coordinator I was able to lean on him in times when we needed it. He was always there and he always responded positively. He is a tremendous leader, a high-character, high-integrity person.

Giants Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo:

I could always pull him aside and say, ‘Mike, I need you to do this for me today,’ and he would always reply, ‘No problem.’ I remember in practice in Arizona before the Super Bowl, I wanted to emphasize that all the players needed to look over to me for the signal and I remember tapping Mike and saying the next play have all the guys look over, help me out on that, and when that next play came, he had all 11 guys paying attention to me.

I wish him nothing but the best in his retirement. I will sorely miss him, not only on the field, but off the field and all the interaction that we had. I will forever be grateful for having worked with a future Hall of Famer. That’s pretty special, because you don’t often get to do that in this league.

Michael is a left end, which means he goes against the best offensive lineman on every team. Yet, he was able to excel. He had a unique ability to study offensive linemen, quarterbacks and even running backs and get little tips on players that helped him tremendously, and he’d share those with the other defensive linemen. He was the consummate pro. I was always impressed at the tremendous strength he had for a guy who wasn’t 290 pounds. He had tremendous leverage and the strength he had from the waist down made him a great player. You go back and look at the film from last year, there were times when it might not have stood out to the untrained eye what he was doing for us. But he affected most every play, because of who he is and what he brings to the team. Michael is a legendary defensive end in this league at a time when there’s an emphasis on offensive tackles playing over there. I would be hard-pressed to find any right now that are better. To go into the playoffs and play games 17, 18, 19 and 20 on the season and still be on the rise is extraordinary. I’ll never forget that. Chairman and Co-Owner Steve Tisch:

Every other offense in the NFL got a gift today. The Giants can say thanks for a job well done to a player who personifies our franchise. Michael Strahan has been the heart and soul of the New York Giants. He was Big Blue his entire 15-year NFL career. His big smile was the face of our team. Michael’s passion for the game was contagious and fierce. His leadership was as towering in the locker room as on the field. His talent was exceeded only by his effort. His stats speak for themselves. But as much as we’ll miss all those sacks next year, what we will miss more is a man who is a great friend and teammate, who exemplifies the best in our sport. We wish him happiness in whatever he chooses to do next and are so happy that he gets to do it with a Super Bowl ring on his finger and the Hall of Fame in his future.