Professional career He holds the NFL record for sacks in a single season with 22.5 (breaking New York Jets great Mark Gastineau's total of 22) in the 2001 season. Before the sack that enabled Strahan to set the record, Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre spoke briefly with him. On the next play, Favre dropped back as if to pass, then suddenly scrambled towards the side that Strahan was rushing from, abruptly diving onto the ground, allowing Strahan to fall on top of him for an easy sack. After the play, during the ensuing celebration, many of the Giants' defensive players patted Favre on the helmet. At least one observer accused Favre of deliberately falling to ensure that Strahan would get the record. Mike Freeman, New York Times columnist wrote: "Yes, Mr. Favre, Strahan deserves the record, but please, handing it to him the way you did, as if you were throwing change into a Salvation Army bucket, is the kind of mistake Favre may never live down.

Few defensive ends in the NFL were more feared or more dominant than Strahan from 2000 to 2005. He was named the 2001 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and was a two-time NFC Defensive Player of the Year (in 2001 and 2003). Throughout the greater part of the 2004 season, Strahan was injured with a torn pectoral muscle, which limited him to only 4 sacks. He rebounded in 2005, returning to the Pro Bowl, with his protégé, Osi Umenyiora as the two combined for 26 sacks while anchoring the Giants' defense.

It looked as though Strahan would retire after the 2006 season when he did not report to Giants training camp and missed the entire preseason, but the 14-year veteran opted to return for one final year. When he recorded a sack in the 2006 season, he and his teammates pretended to take a basketball jumpshot while saying BALLIN' (from the Jim Jones rap video "We Fly High"). This team celebration was short-lived however, as officials then threatened to penalize the team with a 15 Yard Unsportsmanlike "Celebration" should they continue as a group.

On October 23, 2006, with a sack of Drew Bledsoe in a Monday night game against the Dallas Cowboys, Strahan tied Lawrence Taylor for the Giants franchise record for most career sacks with 132½. On September 30, 2007, he sacked Donovan McNabb from the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football, increasing his career total to 133.5, setting a new franchise record. This total does not include 9½ sacks accrued by Taylor in his rookie season of 1981, the year before sacks became an official NFL statistic.

His 15th and final season proved to be the Giants' best season since 1991. On Sunday February 3, 2008, at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, Strahan had 2 tackles and 1 sack in Super Bowl XLII, in what could be considered one of the biggest upsets in NFL history. Bolstered by a strong defense and unrelenting pass rush, the Giants went on to win the game 17-14, over the then-undefeated New England Patriots, giving Strahan his first Super Bowl victory in 15 seasons as an NFL starter.

On June 9, 2008, Michael retired from the NFL. He told Jay Glazer of Foxsports.com "It's time, I'm done.

Strahan retired with 141.5 career sacks, 794 career tackles, 4 career interceptions, 21 forced fumbles and 2 career touchdowns in 200 games over a 15 year career (through 2007 season). He was also named to the Pro Bowl roster seven times.

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