Michael Strahan Completes College Football Hall of Fame Trilogy - A Legacy Cemented at Every Level
Before Michael Strahan was a Super Bowl champ, a seven-time Pro Bowler, or a morning show mainstay, he was a nightmare for quarterbacks at Texas Southern. Now, he’s officially completed his Hall of Fame trifecta - with his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, Strahan joins an elite group of legends honored at every level of the game.
The National Football Foundation made it official on Wednesday, adding the former New York Giants defensive end to its 2025 College Football Hall of Fame class. And while most fans remember Strahan for his dominance in the NFL - including that record-setting 22.5-sack season in 2001 - his college résumé was just as jaw-dropping.
At Texas Southern, Strahan didn’t just stand out - he overwhelmed. He left the program with the all-time sack record (41.5) and the single-season mark (19), numbers that still speak volumes about the kind of force he was coming off the edge.
And it wasn’t just stats. The awards followed, and they kept stacking: First-Team All-American, Division I-AA Defensive Player of the Year, Black College Defensive Player of the Year in 1992, two-time SWAC Defensive Player of the Year, and multiple All-SWAC nods.
He was a 6-foot-5, 255-pound wrecking ball who made life miserable for opposing quarterbacks - many of whom probably went on to much calmer careers in cubicles than they ever had on Saturdays facing No. 92.
That dominance helped make him a second-round pick in the 1993 NFL Draft, going 40th overall to the Giants. From there, the rest is football history.
Strahan was inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame - both in 2014 - and now, with this latest honor, he’s completed a rare and prestigious sweep. Few players in the sport’s history have achieved Hall of Fame status across all three tiers: college, professional, and Black college football. Strahan is now firmly in that conversation.
And if you need a refresher on just how impactful his pro career was, here’s a quick rundown. Strahan spent all 15 of his NFL seasons with the Giants, racking up seven Pro Bowl selections, six All-Pro honors, and a Super Bowl ring.
He was the heart of New York’s defensive line for over a decade, and his No. 92 jersey was rightfully retired in 2021. He was also named to the NFL’s 2000s All-Decade Team - a testament to his sustained excellence across multiple eras of the game.
Strahan headlines a loaded 2025 College Football Hall of Fame class that includes some serious names. Among the players joining him are Wisconsin’s Montee Ball, Auburn linebacker Gregg Carr, Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell, Tennessee’s John Henderson, Texas safety Michael Huff, Oregon’s Haloti Ngata, and Virginia Tech’s Michael Vick - just to name a few.
The coaching group is equally stacked, with Urban Meyer and Nick Saban leading the way. Saban, of course, enters the Hall with one of the most decorated careers in college football history, having built dynasties at LSU and Alabama after earlier stops at Toledo and Michigan State.
For Strahan, this honor is more than just another accolade - it’s a full-circle moment. From a dominant pass rusher at an HBCU, to one of the most feared defenders in NFL history, to a household name in American media, his journey has been nothing short of remarkable.
And for the Giants - and their fans - this is a reminder of what it looks like when the franchise gets it right. Strahan wasn’t just a great player; he was the kind of leader, tone-setter, and culture-builder that teams spend years trying to find.
Now, with his name etched into college football history, Strahan’s legacy is complete - and it’s one that spans every level of the game.