Michael Strahan makes candid admission about the end of his NFL career

Former New York Giants star Michael Strahan revealed that a loss in Super Bowl XLII would not have led him to consider a return to football.

Strahan, 54, is one of the most iconic Giants players ever and played his entire career with the franchise after being selected by them 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 was named an All-Pro six times (four on the first-team, twice on the second-team).

But his final season provided his biggest accomplishment as Strahan and the Giants beat the then-undefeated New England Patriots for what may be considered the biggest upset in NFL history.

Speaking on The Mac Daddy Show, hosted by former tennis pro Patrick McEnroe and sports insurance power broker Rich ‘Big Daddy’ Salgado, Strahan revealed that he knew ‘The Big Game’ was going to be his last before he stepped 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.

‘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, referring to the Giants’ loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV.

‘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.’

Strahan had two tackles in Super Bowl XLII and sacked Patriots quarterback Tom Brady once to cap off the upset.

Four months after the victory, Strahan announced his retirement from the NFL. At the time he called it quits, he had the fifth-most sacks in NFL history.

In 2014, Strahan was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his second ballot. His No. 92 has been retired by the Giants.