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Michael Strahan has been selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2014. The former great New York Giants defensive end was one of seven players selected. Results of the voting were announced Saturday night.
“From the time that he retired, I always felt that he would be simply waiting before he became a Hall of Famer,” Giants' coach Tom Coughlin said. “That’s what I always thought he would be and rightfully so. He takes his place along with the great, great defensive players of the game and the great Giants of the game who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame."
Others voted into the Hall Saturday included: WR Andre Reed (Buffalo Bills), OT Walter Jones (Seattle Seahawks), LB Derrick Brooks (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), S Aeneas Williams (Arizona Cardinals), DE Claude Humphrey (Atlanta Falcons) and P Ray Guy (Oakland Raiders). Guy is the first punter ever selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The enshrinement ceremony will be held Aug. 2 in Canton, Ohio. Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News tweeted Saturday that there is a "great chance" the Giants will be playing in the annual Hall of Fame Game.
Strahan was drafted by the Giants in the second round of the 1993 NFL Draft (40th overall). He played for 15 seasons, reaching the Pro Bowl seven times and earning first-team All Pro honors five times. Strahan set the single-season sack record in 2001 with 22.5. He also led the NFL in sacks in 2003 with 18.5, and had six double-digit sack seasons. He finished with 141.5 career sacks. Strahan was the unanimous NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2001. He was also named to the league's All-Decade Team for the 2000s.
“I’m thrilled for Michael,” said John Mara, the Giants’ president and chief executive officer. “He was one of the greatest players in franchise history. Without him, there’s no way we would have won Super Bowl XLII. Not only was he a huge part of that team because of his play on the field, he was the leader of that defense. The other players looked up to him. He established a mark for consistency during his outstanding 15-year career. Very few people played the position as well as he did, particularly because he played the run as well as being a great pass-rusher. He was a leader and a great player and I’m delighted that he is going to his rightful place in Canton.”
Former Giants' coach Bill Parcells was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013. Below is a list of all of the Hall of Famers who spent at least part of their careers with the Giants:
Morris (Red) Badgro (1930-1935); Roosevelt Brown (1953-1965); Harry Carson (1976-1988); Larry Csonka (1976-1978); Ray Flaherty (1928-1929, 1931-1935); Benny Friedman (1929-1931); Frank Gifford (1952-1960, 1962-1964); Joe Guyon (1927); Mel Hein (1931-1945); Wilbur (Pete) Henry (1927); Arnie Herber (1944-1945)
Robert (Cal) Hubbard (1927-1928, 1936); Sam Huff (1956-1963); Alphonse (Tuffy) Leemans (1936-1943); Wellington Mara (1937-2005); Tim Mara (1925-1959); Don Maynard (1958); Hugh McElhenny (1963); Steve Owen (1926-1953); Bill Parcells (1983-1990); Andy Robustelli (1956-1964); Ken Strong (1933-1935, 1939, 1944-1947); Fran Tarkenton (1967-1971); Lawrence Taylor (1981-1993); Jim Thorpe (1925); Y.A. Tittle (1961-1964); Emlen Tunnell (1948-1958); Arnie Weinmeister (1950-1953)
