Larry Fitzgerald: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Larry Fitzgerald still has plenty left in the tank.

After a couple of disappointing seasons–at least by his lofty standards–from 2012 to 2014, the 32-year-old signed a modest new contract this offseason in order to stay with the Arizona Cardinals, the team that drafted him more than a decade ago. Many thought he was well past his prime.

But with a healthy Carson Palmer under center, Fitzgerald has galvanized his career, tallying 109 receptions, 1,215 yards, nine touchdowns and putting the Cardinals on his back in overtime of the divisional round against the Green Bay Packers.

Here’s everything you need to know about the future Hall of Famer:

---

1. He’s 11th All-Time in Career Receptions

The No. 3 overall pick in 2004, the University of Pittsburgh product caught 58 passes as a rookie and the following year became the youngest player ever to record 100 catches in a season. Fitz piled on five 1,000-yard seasons in the next six years and has tallied seven of those campaigns overall.

In 12 seasons, he has 1,018 catches (11th all-time), 13,366 yards (15th) and 98 receiving touchdowns (11th).

Another season replicating this year’s campaign would put him third, seventh and seventh on those lists, respectively.

---

2. He Has Caught Passes From 12 Different Quarterbacks

Fitzgerald’s gaudy numbers are made even more incredible when you consider the pile of mostly mediocrity he has had throwing him the ball.

Here’s a list of the 17 quarterbacks he has caught a pass from: Josh McCown, Shaun King, John Navarre, Kurt Warner, Tim Hasselbeck, Tim Rattay, Matt Leinart, Brian St. Pierre, Derek Anderson, Kevin Kolb, Max Hall, John Skelton, Richard Bartel, Brian Hoyer, Ryan Lindley, Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton.

He has caught touchdown passes from 12 of those, the most for any wide receiver since 1940. Here’s video of him trying to name them all (2:30 mark).

Unsurprisingly, whenever Fitzgerald has had some talent under center, he and the Cardinals have enjoyed tremendous success, going to the Super Bowl with Warner and now the NFC Championship with Palmer.

---

3. He Set Multiple Playoff Records in 2008

Leading the Cardinals to a near Super Bowl title during the 2008 playoffs, Fitzgerald tallied an absurd 30 receptions, 546 yards and seven touchdowns in four games. All three of those numbers are a record for a single postseason.

After burning the Packers for 176 yards, he set another achievement, per radio host Mike Jurecki:

Fitzgerald’s career playoff numbers extrapolated to 16 games: 106 receptions, 1,824 yards, 20 touchdowns. While so many others see their numbers drop due to the physical nature of playoff football, he raises his level of play when the lights are brightest.

---

4. His Father Is a Prominent Figure in Minnesota Sports Media

Larry Fitzgerald Sr., who played offensive tackle at Indiana State, is a sports columnist for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, as well as a morning radio host. It’s believed that he was the first sportswriter to cover his son during the Super Bowl when he did so in February of 2009.

“I won’t cheer,” Fitzgerald said at the time. “I’m going to stay objective. I’ve come too far to suddenly show up in the press box with pompoms. But if you could put a monitor on my insides, you’d find a whole fan club in there.”

Carol Fitzgerlad, Larry Sr.’s wife and Larry Jr.’s mother, died of brain cancer in April of 2003. In addition to Larry Jr., the couple had another son, Marcus, who played college football at Marshall.

---

5. He’s Widely Considered One of the Nicest Guys in the NFL

He’ll burn you for a 75-yard catch-and-run. He’ll knock you on your backside with a crushing block. He just won’t talk about it.

A silent killer on the gridiron, Fitzgerald doesn’t talk trash. Instead, he talks pleasantries.

“He played against my brothers for years, he knew my whole family, so he asked about that,” said Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant. “There was all this casual talk. I was thrown off. I’m trying to focus and he’s being a real good dude.”

Off the field, Fitzgerald is just as nice. Giving back to the community in a variety of different ways, he was a finalist for the 2012 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, was given the 2013 NFL Players Association Georgetown Lombardi Award, was selected as the 2014 Henry P. Iba Citizen Male Athlete recipient and won the 2015 Art Rooney Award for sportsmanship.

0 Comments