New York Giants Official Website

No Looking Back
Michael Strahan discusses his future at his charity golf tournament
By Mike Eisen, Giants.com

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JULY 1, 2008

PURCHASE, NY - Michael Strahan has absolutely no regrets about retiring from football after 15 seasons with the Giants.

"I'm fine with it," Strahan said yesterday. "I haven't looked back and said, 'Man what have I done, I should go back.' I haven't had that once and that's a good thing."

What goes through his mind when he hears the word "retirement?"

"It's relief," Strahan said. "I feel like I can breathe. One door closes and another opens. One life is over and I just gained a new life. Now I have more time to be with my family and do things I love doing. For 15 years, I didn't have that. I was grateful I didn't have it, because it allowed me to play for the New York Giants and that allows me to do what I can do now. I was grateful for 15 years not having summers off and taking a beating during the season, but now it's time to move on and let other guys have that. I'm going to live through guys like Osi (Umenyiora) and (Justin) Tuck."

That's not to say Strahan won't get an itch to put on a uniform once the season begins. This is a man, after all, who has spent every autumn for more than 20 years playing football and who played in a Giants-record 216 regular season games, plus 10 postseason games. The last of those was the Giants' scintillating 17-14 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. That triumph enabled Strahan to walk away with the championship ring he had treasured for so long.

"I'm going to miss it," Strahan conceded. "Even now, I'm working out like I'm getting ready for the season, which is good because it keeps me in shape. But I'm definitely going to miss it. It's natural, I've always done it, done it my entire life. So when I'm not doing it and I'm standing around twiddling my thumbs, watching a game and feeling like I can make a difference if I were there, I'll miss it at that point, I'm sure. But there's just no going back."

Strahan made his comments in this Westchester County community at the Century Country Club, site of the annual Michael Strahan/Dreier LLP Charity Golf Tournament. This year's event benefited Children's Rights, a watchdog organization that advocates on behalf of abused and neglected children in the United States, and Keep A Child Alive, which provides medical care and life-saving drugs for African children suffering from AIDS. In 2007, the Strahan/Dreier Tournament raised more than $300,000 for children's charities.

The tournament attracted an impressive array of sports stars, including Julius Erving, Marcus Allen, Eric Dickerson, Harry Carson, Eddie George, Jason Sehorn, Charles Oakley, Marshall Faulk, Shaun O'Hara and Tuck.

But the spotlight shined on Strahan, whose 141.5 regular season sacks are a Giants record and the fifth-highest total in NFL history. His retirement news conference was held three weeks ago today. Since then he signed a contract with Fox Sports to join the network's "Fox NFL Sunday" show with Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson and Curt Menefee. Strahan's objectivity will be challenged as he follows and comments on the fortunes of the only NFL team he ever played for.

"Of course, I'm going to root for the Giants," he said. "At the same time I have to do my job and if the Giants aren't playing well, I have to be the guy who says, 'You know what, they aren't playing well.' If the Giants are playing great, I'll be like any other guy and say the Giants are playing great. So I'm going to do what my job requires and that is just being honest about the team. Of course, I've played there for 15 years, those guys are like my brothers and I love them to death. But one of the best things you can do even with your own brother in your own family is be honest, and hopefully that is something I can be and they can respect that. That's my goal."

Although "Fox NFL Sunday" is broadcast from Los Angeles, where Strahan has a home, he expects to spend plenty of time in the metropolitan area.

"This is New York, this is where I have been for 15 years and it's the greatest city in the world," Strahan said. "This is where I've been my entire career and made a name for myself so I'm not leaving New York. I'm going to maintain a place here and in L.A. I may even live home in Texas with my parents, who knows?"

Here are three more views on Strahan's retirement, one from a Hall of Fame Giant, one from a teammate on the 2000 NFC champions and one from last year's Super Bowl winners.

*Harry Carson, Giants linebacker from 1976-88 and a 2006 inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame:

Q: Do you expect Michael to be the next Giant elected to the Hall of Fame?

Carson: "The next Giant? Hopefully, there will be a couple of other Giants before Michael. But I fully expect him to be a Hall of Famer, whether that's five years down the line or six or seven. ... The Hall of Fame is a political process and extenuating circumstances come into the picture. So Michael Strahan will be in the Hall of Fame. I don't know when, but I told him that when they won the Super Bowl and he retired, I said congratulations to him and said, 'I'll be waiting for you.' We'll keep a seat warm for him when he comes to Canton, however long that may be. I fully expect him to be there."

*Cornerback Jason Sehorn, Strahan's Giants teammate from 1994-2002. Sehorn now lives in Hidden Hills, Calif., about 10 miles east of Malibu. He is a football commentator on Fox Sports Net.

Q: What did you think when Strahan retired?

Sehorn: "I wasn't too surprised. That's because I saw him in February and he had all his cars in California, so that was kind of a sign for me. You don't bring that much baggage to come back. You get your Hollywood ending, you leave when they want more instead of when they want less."

Q: Where does Michael rate among the players you played with in your career?

Sehorn: "He and Jessie Armstead are 1A and 1B. They were both one of a kind. They were so different, yet so similar. Both great leaders, both great motivators, great teammates, held everyone accountable, showed up every game, never mailed it in. Being able to play with those two guys was special, because of who they are as people, athletes, and leaders. It was fun and a good time."

Q: As someone with television experience, how do you think Michael will do in his new career?

Sehorn: "I think he'll be fine. I think the most difficult thing will be ringing in those opinions in 20 seconds. He has no shortage of opinions, so he'll be fine."

Q: Why did you fly cross-country to participate in Strahan's golf tournament?

Sehorn: "That smile can be very convincing."

*Justin Tuck, Strahan's teammate since 2005 and his successor at defensive left end.

Q: Have you brought up the subject of retirement with Michael?

Tuck: "I feel like Michael is serious in his retirement. I don't think I can change his mind even if I tried. I don't think anybody could. If he doesn't want to come back and play another year, nobody is going to talk him into coming back, so I'd rather talk to him about other things."

Q: Have you guys accepted the fact that he is not coming back?

Tuck: "I think we have. We've moved on from that. We did our part in preparing for life without Stray, and we've been doing this the past three years because we knew this time was going to come eventually. We'll be okay."

Q: Are you going to miss him more on the field or in the defensive line meeting room?

Tuck: "The meeting rooms, absolutely. He was kind of our rag-doll even though he had his 15 years of experience on us. We had our way with our young humor and got on him a lot. We're definitely going to miss his attitude, his demeanor, how funny he was in the locker room, how savvy he was when watching film - knowing what the offensive line wanted to do to him before the ball was snapped. Those things are invaluable, so hopefully we can make do without him. But it will be hard."

Q: Is his departure how you would envision your exit - with a Super Bowl championship and a collection of records?

Tuck: "Absolutely. He was a top five sack leader, the Giants' all-time sack leader, he got his first Super Bowl - you can't write a script better than that. After 15 years you still have guys begging you to come back. A lot of people say he has two, three, maybe four good years left in him. I'm hoping I can retire with those kinds of problems."