Former New York Giants star Michael Strahan revealed a loss in Super Bowl XLII would not have led him to return to football.
Speaking on The Mac Daddy Show, hosted by former tennis pro Patrick McEnroe and sports insurance power broker Rich "Big Daddy" Salgado, the 54-year-old revealed he knew the championship game was going to be his last before stepping onto the field.
"I kind of felt it. Yeah, I kind of knew," Strahan admitted, adding that he had come to peace with the idea of not winning a title.
Retirement Decision Before Kickoff
Strahan explained that experiencing a previous championship defeat shaped his perspective heading into his final season. He previously suffered a loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV with the Giants before missing the postseason the following year.
"Had we lost... I think because I experienced losing one before and then the next year not even making it, I probably would have said that was it. That was as close as I was just going to get in my career," Strahan said.
"And I came back that year not to win the Super Bowl, to be honest with you. I came back that year to have fun," he added.
Super Bowl XLII Upset and Performance
Despite being prepared to walk away without a ring, Strahan capped off his final season with the biggest accomplishment of his career. Strahan and the Giants beat the then-undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII in what may be considered the biggest upset in NFL history.
Strahan recorded two tackles during the game and sacked Patriots quarterback Tom Brady once to cap off the upset.
Giants Legacy and Career Accomplishments
Four months after the victory, Strahan announced his retirement from the NFL. At the time he called it quits, he had accumulated the fifth-most sacks in NFL history.
Strahan played his entire career with the Giants after being selected by the franchise in the second round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played from 1993 to 2007, being named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2001, making seven Pro Bowl teams, and earning All-Pro honors six times, including four on the first-team and twice on the second-team.
The NFL is the premier professional American football league in the United States, culminating annually in the Super Bowl championship game. In 2014, Strahan was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his second ballot, and his No. 92 has since been retired by the Giants.
