MVP Profile: Michael Strahan, 2001

Defensive End, New York Giants

Age:  30 (Nov. 21)

9^th season in pro football & with Giants

College: Texas Southern

Height: 6’5”   Weight: 275

Prelude:

Strahan was chosen by the Giants in the second round of the 1993 NFL draft, but a preseason foot injury hindered his progress as a rookie. He moved into the starting lineup in ’94 and was a consensus first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection for the first time in 1997, a year in which he also reached double digits in sacks with 14. He duplicated the honors in ’98 and went to the Pro Bowl for a third straight year in 1999 despite a drop in sacks from 15 to 5.5. Following a slow start in 2000, Strahan reasserted his dominant pass rushing skills as the season progressed and finished up with 9.5 sacks.

2001 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Sacks – 22.5 [1]

Most sacks, game – 4 at St. Louis 10/14

Multi-sack games (2 or more) – 5

Interceptions – 0

Fumble recoveries – 1

Forced fumbles – 6

Tackles – 62

Assists – 11

Sack total of 22.5 set NFL record

Scoring

TDs – 1

Points – 6

Awards & Honors:

NFL Defensive Player of the Year: AP

1^st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, Sporting News

1^st team All-NFC: Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Giants went 7-9 to finish third in the NFC East.

Aftermath:

Strahan was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2002 and again led the NFL with 18.5 sacks in ’03, when he was a consensus All-NFL selection for the fourth (and last) time. While major injuries hampered him in 2004 and ’06, Strahan played until 2007, a total of 15 seasons, and retired following a Super Bowl title for the team. Fast and adaptable, he ended up with 141.5 sacks, which ranked fifth all-time at his retirement, and was selected to the Pro Bowl on seven occasions.

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MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself). Also includes Associated Press NFL Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year.