It’s the end of an era.

Yeah, it’s a little trite, but it’s true. I’m not going to lie – I was shocked when he decided to pack it in. But you have to give him a lot of credit. He could’ve come back, made more money than he will doing anything else, and still have been a very effective football player.

Strahan has always been a fan favorite, and had a dominant career on the Giants’ defensive line. But I don’t think it was until this year that his value could truly be appreciated. After a summer marred by his holdout (and make no mistake, that’s what it was,) he came back to a team that was one big question mark. (Even Michael admitted at his press conference that he was unsure of what the 2007 Giants were capable of.)

Immediately, walking back in the door a week before the opener, he was overwhelmingly elected a team captain. That gives you an idea of the level of respect he commanded in the locker room. He was the biggest part of that leadership council that was formed and helped to build a bridge between TC and the players. Antonio Pierce said Tuesday that if it wasn’t for Strahan, there wouldn’t have been any changes in the head coach, and therefore, no Super Bowl.

On the field, after struggling through the first two games as he was getting in game shape, he began a steady climb to a season that was perhaps his best. Teams dared not run his way, and often double and triple-teamed him. Remember Osi Umenyiora’s six-sack night against the Eagles? Philly was most worried that night about Strahan, and despite the fact that left tackle Winston Justice looked like a child, he played an integral role in freeing up Umenyiora.

You can’t tell me he didn’t have a similar effect on Justin Tuck’s development. Tuck’s 10 sacks were an unexpected bonus, and with Strahan and Umenyiora lined up on the outside, it gave Tuck the chance to take advantage of his speed inside against guards as a defensive tackle. When asked what he learned from Strahan, Tuck simply said, “everything.”

The Giants’ defenses during Strahan’s 15 years were always built up to be great defenses, but in crunch time, they often came up empty. Such was not the case in 2007, because you can’t convince me, even with the emergence and development of Eli Manning, that the Giants’ defense wasn’t the main reason they won the Super Bowl. And Strahan was no role player at this point in his career; he was still the star, and he performed like it.

He picked the right time. There was nothing else to prove on the field, and he walked out on top. How many athletes can say that?

See you in a couple of years, when #92 is hung up for good.