Michael Strahan retirement: Strahan is riding out

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Giants All World DE Michael Strahan announced today that he is retiring from the NFL. He is taking the Jerome Bettis path by riding off into the sunset after his Super Bowl win:

After a lengthy and — for Strahan — up-and-down decision-making process, Strahan said he's hanging up the cleats and wanted to finalize a decision before his teammates gathered for their mini-camp.

"It was important that my teammates knew which way I was going before they got on the field to start the work to defend our title," the team's all-time sack leader said from California. "It's time. I'm done."

Strahan finally made up his mind a week ago, but wanted to take the extra days to make sure his feeling on the matter was 100 percent.

He has long believed retirement was the route he would choose, but the finality of it gave him problems. In the past two years, Strahan said he has spoken with many high-profile retired players and asked for their advice on retired life, the emotions of the decision and how they knew they were done. The one consistent theme was this: Once you're done, it's forever. Thus, the finality was what posed the biggest problem for Strahan in making the ultimate decision.

The Giants all time sack leader and single season sack record holder will always be remembered for terrorizing Quarterbacks and making them have nightmares of gaps chasing them. I will always remember him for the old Campbells Chunky Soup commercials though.

Look for him to have an announcing job somewhere next year.