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Osi Umenyiora makes his retirement from the NFL official Wednesday afternoon during a press conference at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Here is some of what teammates, coaches and members of the New York Giants organization are saying about Umenyiora.
Tom Coughlin on Umenyiora's Super Bowl contributions ...
"Osi was a huge, huge part of those teams. That's the connecting link with all the guys. When they go away and then call back and talk, I express how much they mean to me as individuals, and I have to Osi. And he will respond in the same way about his time here and what great memories he has and how fond his thoughts are of winning Super Bowls XLII and XLVI. In my mind, when I think of 42, I see 92, 72, 91 (the ends' jersey numbers) walking away with (New England quarterback Tom) Brady laying on the ground. I'll never forget that picture. That's a beauty."
More Coughlin ...
"Osi he was very, very well prepared. He would come in on Tuesdays and study that left tackle, and he would know that guy inside-out. He would know exactly how he was going to approach him, what his plan was going to be. And he would execute. He didn't just go out and play, he studied the guy. He was a great example for those people in the room, because he knew. You'd open the door on a Tuesday, he'd be in there by himself studying. He was very, very much a guy who tried not to leave anything to chance."
GM Jerry Reese ...
"Osi was an explosive, smart, crafty edge rusher who was a scary matchup for any offensive tackle in this league in his prime," general manager Jerry Reese said. "He had all the moves and played the game right, and he was a great student of the game."
Co-owner Steve Tisch ...
"Osi is and has always been a great Giant. I will remember him as much for his great smile and engaging personality as I will for his ability to rush the passer. His love for the game is obvious to anyone who watched him perform."
Co-owner John Mara ...
"Osi was certainly one of the premier defensive ends in the game and a key part of our two Super Bowl teams. But he was much more than that. Osi had so much pride and always gave 100 percent. He represented himself and our team on and off the field like a true professional and was a great example to his teammates."
Michael Strahan ...
"He is fun. I think about Osi, and I think about his smile. The most serious I ever saw him was right before the Super Bowl. For him, everything was a joke, everything was a laugh, everything was fun. I always laughed with him and he was truly my little brother. I tell people this all the time, on the field and off the field, he is somebody who is just like me. We both are Scorpios, we both thought the same. He and I would look at each other and we knew what the other was thinking. I've never had that with another player on the field. He was truly an extension of myself. I think that's why we played well together, it's why we get along. I love him to death."
More Strahan ...
"When you talk about Osi, you talk about quickness. I think because he played soccer growing up, he had incredible feet. The one thing people don't realize, and I didn't realize until he was in the weight room with me, was he's strong as an ox. In my mind, I'm going, ‘Okay, he's amazingly quick, but damn, he's strong.' That was the most impressive thing."