ESPN names Michael Strahan among NFL’s greatest players since 2000

ESPN recently released a ranking of the top 25 NFL players since 2000, in which Hall of Fame defensive end Michael Strahan landed at No. 19.

“Strahan is still a shareholder of the single-season sack record with T.J. Watt,” wrote ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. “There was a six-game stretch during that memorable 2001 season in which Strahan had 14 sacks and four forced fumbles. It was all part of a remarkable career that ended in fairy-tale fashion. How many other stars got to call it a career by winning the Super Bowl in their final season? It certainly didn’t hurt Strahan’s post-football interests, as he became a football analyst, TV host and two-time Daytime Emmy Award winner. ‘It helped being in New York,’ Strahan once said. ‘My life is definitely different if I didn’t win that Super Bowl.'”

Strahan finished his 15-year NFL career, all of which was spent with the Giants, just a half-sack shy of Lawrence Taylor for the unofficial franchise sack record. His 141.5 sacks are officially the sixth-most in NFL history. He was the NFL sack leader in both 2001 and 2003, and his mark of 22.5 sacks in 2001 is currently tied with Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end T.J. Watt for the most in a season in NFL history. Strahan’s performance that season led to him being named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014 and had his No. 92 retired by the Giants in 2021 following six All-Pro selections, seven trips to the Pro Bowl and a Super Bowl Championship (SB XLII). He was also named to the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team.

The all-time Giants great put together a legendary career prior to landing with the Giants, as well. At Texas Southern, he graduated with both the program’s single-season sack record (19 in 1992) along with the all-time sack record (41.5). He also earned numerous accolades, including first-team All-American, Division I-AA Defensive Player of the Year, 1992 Black College Defensive Player of the Year, two-time SWAC Defensive Player of the Year and All-SWAC member.

Strahan was inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2014 and was also named to the Senior Bowl 75th Anniversary Team this past fall.