Larry Fitzgerald
Encyclopedia
Larry Darnell Fitzgerald, Jr. (born August 31, 1983) is an American football
wide receiver
for the Arizona Cardinals
of the National Football League
, and currently ranks fourth all-time in league history in receiving yards per game for a career (76.0 yds/game), behind Andre Johnson
, Torry Holt
, and Marvin Harrison
. He agreed to an eight year, $120 million contract extension on August 20, 2011. Fitzgerald was drafted third overall in the 2004 NFL Draft
by the Cardinals. He played college football
at Pittsburgh
.
where he was widely considered one of the best wide receiver
s in college football. After his sophomore season, Fitzgerald was recognized as the best player in the NCAA with the 2003 Walter Camp Award
and the Touchdown Club of Columbus
's Chic Harley Award
, and as the best wide receiver in college football with the 2003 Biletnikoff Award and the Touchdown Club's Paul Warfield Award. He was also a unanimous 2003 All-America
selection and a runner-up for the prestigious Heisman Trophy
, given to the most outstanding player in college football; Oklahoma
's Jason White
won that award by a relatively slim margin.
In just 26 games with the Panthers
, Fitzgerald caught 161 passes for 2,677 yards and set a new Pitt record with 34 receiving touchdowns. He was the first player in school history with back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons, and his 14 games with at least 100 yards receiving broke Antonio Bryant
's previous all-time Panthers record of 13.
Fitzgerald also holds an NCAA
record with at least one touchdown catch in 18 straight games.
, he petitioned the NFL to allow him to enter the 2004 NFL Draft
, as he had left his high school, Academy of Holy Angels
, during his senior year to attend Valley Forge (PA) Military Academy. The NFL granted an exception to allow Fitzgerald to enter the draft, as Fitzgerald had convinced the NFL that the time he spent at the Academy, combined with his time at Pitt, was the minimum three years removed from high school
to make him eligible for the draft. Although former Ohio State
running back Maurice Clarett
was suing the NFL at the time to overturn the rule (a case Clarett ultimately won, but was later overturned on appeal), the NFL considered Fitzgerald's case separate from Clarett's.
by the Arizona Cardinals
, whose then coach, Dennis Green
, knew Fitzgerald from his time as a Vikings ball boy.
In 2004
, Fitzgerald had 58 receptions for 780 yards and 8 touchdowns. On December 12, 2004, Fitzgerald became the youngest player at 21 years and 110 days, to record at least 2 touchdown receptions in a single game. In 2005
he led the NFL with 103 receptions for 1,409 yards and 10 touchdowns and was named to his first Pro Bowl
. Fitzgerald teamed with Anquan Boldin
to create one of the most dangerous wide receiver tandem
s in the NFL. In 2005, they became only the third duo from the same team to each catch over 100 passes and also the third pair of teammates to top the 1,400-yard mark.
In 2006
, Fitzgerald was injured and missed part of the season but still produced 69 receptions for 946 yards and 6 touchdowns. As part of his 2007 Pro Bowl
season
, he caught 100 receptions for 1,409 yards and 10 touchdowns. Following the 2007 season
Fitzgerald signed a four-year, $40 million contract extension with Arizona. While still under contract at the time, performance bonuses forced the team's hand into a massive extension. Fitzgerald's numbers earned him the nickname "Sticky Fingers" and "The Best Hands in the NFL" in local media.
During the NFC Championship for the 2008 NFL season
, Fitzgerald tied an NFL record with three touchdown receptions in a playoff game. His three touchdown catches occurred in the first half; he became the first player in NFL history to accomplish that feat in a conference championship game. Fitzgerald also set a single postseason record with 546 receiving yards, 30 receptions, and 7 touchdown receptions, surpassing Jerry Rice
's records of the 1988–89 NFL playoffs. He and the Cardinals represented the NFC
in Super Bowl XLIII
. During Super Bowl XLIII, Fitzgerald caught two touchdown passes in the Cardinals 27–23 loss to the Steelers
. Fitzgerald followed up this performance by catching two more touchdown passes in the 2009 Pro Bowl
, earning him MVP honors. After the Pro Bowl was over it was revealed that Fitzgerald had been playing at least the whole postseason with a broken left thumb as well as torn cartilage in the same hand. It is speculated that Fitzgerald has had this injury since November 5, 2008, when he showed up on the injury report with an injured thumb. After his record-breaking postseason, capped by his Pro Bowl MVP award, many analysts, including NFL Network
's Jamie Dukes
, regarded Fitzgerald as one of the best receivers in the NFL.
Despite having about 300 yards less than the year before, he set a personal record with 13 touchdowns in 2009
. He added two more touchdown catches in the Wild Card game against the Green Bay Packers
in a 51–45 win. However, the Cardinals were eliminated the next week, beaten 45–14 by the New Orleans Saints
.
The 2010 season for the Cardinals was a major let down from the previous two years, as the retiring of Kurt Warner greatly affected their offense. Despite this, Fitzgerald was still able to catch 90 passes for 1,137 yards, and 6 touchdowns. After the season he was named to his 5th pro bowl, and his 4th in a row.
Larry Fitzgerald signed an 8-year $120 million deal with the Arizona Cardinals
on August 20th, 2011 that makes him tied with Richard Seymour
as the 5th highest paid player in the NFL.
Fitzgerald's mother, Carol, died of a brain hemorrhage while being treated for breast cancer
in 2003.
Fitzgerald also has a younger brother, Marcus R. Fitzgerald. Marcus is an American football
wide receiver
for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League.
In January 2010, Fitzgerald appeared in a television commercial saying that he was completing his college degree at the University of Phoenix
while also playing football many weekends at the Arizona Cardinals' University of Phoenix Stadium
.
In December 2008, Angela Nazario, a former Oakland Raiders
cheerleader and the mother of Fitzgerald's child, filed for and won an order of protection against Fitzgerald, alleging that he had shoved her during a domestic disturbance. No charges were filed. Fitzgerald's father claimed that Nazario made the accusations in an attempt "to get a lot of money," and his lawyers have said that they cannot discuss the case because a judge had it sealed.
video game NCAAF 2005. He was also one of two players (with Troy Polamalu
) who are on the cover of Madden 2010. This makes him one of two people (along with Shaun Alexander
) in the history of the EA Sports American Football games to appear on two different covers.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, and currently ranks fourth all-time in league history in receiving yards per game for a career (76.0 yds/game), behind Andre Johnson
Andre Johnson
Andre Lamont Johnson is an American football wide receiver currently playing for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Through the 2010–11 NFL season, Johnson currently ranks first all-time in NFL history in receiving yards per game for a career...
, Torry Holt
Torry Holt
After injuring his knee at the Senior Bowl, Holt, at 192 pounds, ran a 4.44 second 40-yard dash and had a vertical jump of 37 inches at the 1999 NFL Combine-St. Louis Rams:...
, and Marvin Harrison
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Daniel Harrison is a former American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse...
. He agreed to an eight year, $120 million contract extension on August 20, 2011. Fitzgerald was drafted third overall in the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
by the Cardinals. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
.
College career
Fitzgerald attended the University of PittsburghUniversity of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
where he was widely considered one of the best wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
s in college football. After his sophomore season, Fitzgerald was recognized as the best player in the NCAA with the 2003 Walter Camp Award
Walter Camp Award
The Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football Player of the Year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A head coaches and sports information directors under the auspices of the Walter Camp Football Foundation;...
and the Touchdown Club of Columbus
Touchdown Club of Columbus
The Touchdown Club of Columbus was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1956 by Sam B. Nicola at the request of State Auditor James A. Rhodes, who later became governor of the state. Nicola served as the club's president until his death in 1993. More than a decade later, his son Sam Nicola, Jr...
's Chic Harley Award
Chic Harley Award
The Chic Harley Award is presented by the Touchdown Club of Columbus to the College Football Player of the Year. The winner is selected by a committee of college football coaches, and is named after Ohio State All-America football legend, Chic Harley. It was first presented to Ohio State's Howard...
, and as the best wide receiver in college football with the 2003 Biletnikoff Award and the Touchdown Club's Paul Warfield Award. He was also a unanimous 2003 All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
selection and a runner-up for the prestigious Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
, given to the most outstanding player in college football; Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
's Jason White
Jason White (American football)
Jason White is a former American football quarterback who played for the University of Oklahoma from 1999 to 2004, during which he won the 2003 Heisman Trophy...
won that award by a relatively slim margin.
In just 26 games with the Panthers
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
, Fitzgerald caught 161 passes for 2,677 yards and set a new Pitt record with 34 receiving touchdowns. He was the first player in school history with back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons, and his 14 games with at least 100 yards receiving broke Antonio Bryant
Antonio Bryant
Antonio Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
's previous all-time Panthers record of 13.
Fitzgerald also holds an NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
record with at least one touchdown catch in 18 straight games.
Pre-draft
Although Fitzgerald had played at Pitt for only two years without redshirtingRedshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
, he petitioned the NFL to allow him to enter the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
, as he had left his high school, Academy of Holy Angels
Academy of Holy Angels
The Academy of Holy Angels is a Catholic, coeducational high school located in Richfield, Minnesota. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Holy Angels educates more than 820 students each year in grades nine through twelve from around the Twin Cities...
, during his senior year to attend Valley Forge (PA) Military Academy. The NFL granted an exception to allow Fitzgerald to enter the draft, as Fitzgerald had convinced the NFL that the time he spent at the Academy, combined with his time at Pitt, was the minimum three years removed from high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
to make him eligible for the draft. Although former Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
running back Maurice Clarett
Maurice Clarett
Maurice Edward Clarett is an American football running back for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. During his freshman year at Ohio State University in 2002, he helped lead the Buckeyes to a national championship...
was suing the NFL at the time to overturn the rule (a case Clarett ultimately won, but was later overturned on appeal), the NFL considered Fitzgerald's case separate from Clarett's.
Arizona Cardinals
Fitzgerald left the University of Pittsburgh after a tremendous sophomore year in which he caught 92 passes for 1,672 yards and 22 TDs. He was drafted third overall in the 2004 NFL Draft2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
by the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, whose then coach, Dennis Green
Dennis Green
Dennis "Denny" Green is an American football head coach for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League...
, knew Fitzgerald from his time as a Vikings ball boy.
In 2004
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
, Fitzgerald had 58 receptions for 780 yards and 8 touchdowns. On December 12, 2004, Fitzgerald became the youngest player at 21 years and 110 days, to record at least 2 touchdown receptions in a single game. In 2005
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
he led the NFL with 103 receptions for 1,409 yards and 10 touchdowns and was named to his first Pro Bowl
2006 Pro Bowl
The 2006 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 12, 2006 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. It marked the 27th consecutive time that the National Football League's all-star game was held in Honolulu...
. Fitzgerald teamed with Anquan Boldin
Anquan Boldin
-Arizona Cardinals:As a rookie Boldin set an NFL record for most receiving yards by a rookie in his first game , tied Billy Sims for most yards from scrimmage by a rookie in his first game , and holds the NFL record for most receptions in the first 26 games of an NFL career...
to create one of the most dangerous wide receiver tandem
Tandem
Tandem is an arrangement where a team of machines, animals or people are lined up one behind another, all facing in the same direction....
s in the NFL. In 2005, they became only the third duo from the same team to each catch over 100 passes and also the third pair of teammates to top the 1,400-yard mark.
In 2006
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
, Fitzgerald was injured and missed part of the season but still produced 69 receptions for 946 yards and 6 touchdowns. As part of his 2007 Pro Bowl
2007 Pro Bowl
The 2007 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl took place on February 10, 2007, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The game was held on a Saturday instead of the usual Sunday after the Super Bowl because of a request by broadcaster CBS....
season
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
, he caught 100 receptions for 1,409 yards and 10 touchdowns. Following the 2007 season
2007 Arizona Cardinals season
The 2007 Arizona Cardinals season was the 88th season for the team in the National Football League, and their 20th season in Arizona. They improved upon their 5–11 record in 2006 after finishing last place in the NFC West, by finishing 8–8, but the failure of the Cardinals to qualify for the Super...
Fitzgerald signed a four-year, $40 million contract extension with Arizona. While still under contract at the time, performance bonuses forced the team's hand into a massive extension. Fitzgerald's numbers earned him the nickname "Sticky Fingers" and "The Best Hands in the NFL" in local media.
During the NFC Championship for the 2008 NFL season
2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
, Fitzgerald tied an NFL record with three touchdown receptions in a playoff game. His three touchdown catches occurred in the first half; he became the first player in NFL history to accomplish that feat in a conference championship game. Fitzgerald also set a single postseason record with 546 receiving yards, 30 receptions, and 7 touchdown receptions, surpassing Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...
's records of the 1988–89 NFL playoffs. He and the Cardinals represented the NFC
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
in Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
. During Super Bowl XLIII, Fitzgerald caught two touchdown passes in the Cardinals 27–23 loss to the Steelers
Steelers
Steelers usually refers to the Pittsburgh Steelers, an American football team which plays in the National Football League. It may also refer to the following sports teams:Association football...
. Fitzgerald followed up this performance by catching two more touchdown passes in the 2009 Pro Bowl
2009 Pro Bowl
The 2009 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2008 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 8, 2009. This was the last time that a Pro Bowl game was held after the NFL Super Bowl game...
, earning him MVP honors. After the Pro Bowl was over it was revealed that Fitzgerald had been playing at least the whole postseason with a broken left thumb as well as torn cartilage in the same hand. It is speculated that Fitzgerald has had this injury since November 5, 2008, when he showed up on the injury report with an injured thumb. After his record-breaking postseason, capped by his Pro Bowl MVP award, many analysts, including NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
's Jamie Dukes
Jamie Dukes
Jamie Donnell Dukes is a former offensive lineman who played 10 seasons for the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, and Arizona Cardinals, of the National Football League. He played college football at Florida State...
, regarded Fitzgerald as one of the best receivers in the NFL.
Despite having about 300 yards less than the year before, he set a personal record with 13 touchdowns in 2009
2009 NFL season
The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at...
. He added two more touchdown catches in the Wild Card game against the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
in a 51–45 win. However, the Cardinals were eliminated the next week, beaten 45–14 by the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
.
The 2010 season for the Cardinals was a major let down from the previous two years, as the retiring of Kurt Warner greatly affected their offense. Despite this, Fitzgerald was still able to catch 90 passes for 1,137 yards, and 6 touchdowns. After the season he was named to his 5th pro bowl, and his 4th in a row.
Larry Fitzgerald signed an 8-year $120 million deal with the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
on August 20th, 2011 that makes him tied with Richard Seymour
Richard Seymour
Richard Vershaun Seymour is an American football defensive tackle for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots sixth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft...
as the 5th highest paid player in the NFL.
Statistics
| Year | Team | G | GS | Rec | Yards | Avg | Lng | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 2004 NFL season The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005... |
ARI 2004 Arizona Cardinals season The 2004 Arizona Cardinals season was the 85th season the team was in the National Football League. The team managed to improve upon their previous output of 4-12. However, the team failed to make the playoffs for the sixth straight season.-NFL Draft:... |
16 | 16 | 58 | 780 | 13.4 | 48 | 8 |
| 2005 2005 NFL season The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006... |
ARI 2005 Arizona Cardinals season The 2005 Arizona Cardinals season was the team's 86th in the NFL. The team was unable to improve upon their previous season's output of 6-10, and failed to make the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season.... |
16 | 16 | 1,409 | 13.7 | 47 | 10 | |
| 2006 2006 NFL season The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006... |
ARI 2006 Arizona Cardinals season The 2006 Arizona Cardinals season began with the team trying to improve on their 5-11 record in 2005. They also moved into the Cardinals Stadium in Glendale, Arizona . The stadium was christened University of Phoenix Stadium on September 26... |
13 | 13 | 69 | 946 | 13.7 | 57 | 6 |
| 2007 2007 NFL season The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30.... |
ARI 2007 Arizona Cardinals season The 2007 Arizona Cardinals season was the 88th season for the team in the National Football League, and their 20th season in Arizona. They improved upon their 5–11 record in 2006 after finishing last place in the NFC West, by finishing 8–8, but the failure of the Cardinals to qualify for the Super... |
15 | 15 | 100 | 1,409 | 14.1 | 48T | 10 |
| 2008 2008 NFL season The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the... |
ARI 2008 Arizona Cardinals season The 2008 Arizona Cardinals season was the 89th season for the team in the National Football League and their 21st season in Arizona. The season marked the Cardinals' first-ever Super Bowl appearance, coming as a result of their victory against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship.The... |
16 | 16 | 96 | 12 | |||
| 2009 2009 NFL season The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at... |
ARI 2009 Arizona Cardinals season The 2009 Arizona Cardinals season is the 90th season for the team in the National Football League and the 22nd season in Arizona. The Cardinals finished the season with a 10–6 record, an improvement from their 9–7 previous season record and the first time the team has won ten games since 1976 The... |
16 | 16 | 97 | 1,092 | 11.3 | 34T | |
| 2010 2010 NFL season The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League.The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9.Tom Brady,... |
ARI 2010 Arizona Cardinals season The 2010 Arizona Cardinals season is the 91st season for the team in the National Football League, and their 23rd season in Arizona. The Cardinals failed to improve on their 10–6 record from 2009, and were eliminated from postseason contention in Week 15.... |
16 | 15 | 90 | 1,137 | 12.6 | 41T | 6 |
| Tot. | ARI | 108 | 107 | 613 | 8,204 | 13.3 | 78T | 65 |
Personal
Fitzgerald's father, Larry Fitzgerald Sr., is a sportswriter for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. When he covered Super Bowl XLIII, he was believed to be the first reporter to cover his own son in a Super Bowl.Fitzgerald's mother, Carol, died of a brain hemorrhage while being treated for breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
in 2003.
Fitzgerald also has a younger brother, Marcus R. Fitzgerald. Marcus is an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League.
In January 2010, Fitzgerald appeared in a television commercial saying that he was completing his college degree at the University of Phoenix
University of Phoenix
The University of Phoenix is a for-profit institution of higher learning. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Apollo Group Inc. which is publicly traded , an S&P 500 corporation based in Phoenix, Arizona...
while also playing football many weekends at the Arizona Cardinals' University of Phoenix Stadium
University of Phoenix Stadium
University of Phoenix Stadium, opened August 1, 2006, is a multipurpose football stadium located in Glendale, Arizona. It is the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League and the annual Fiesta Bowl...
.
In December 2008, Angela Nazario, a former Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
cheerleader and the mother of Fitzgerald's child, filed for and won an order of protection against Fitzgerald, alleging that he had shoved her during a domestic disturbance. No charges were filed. Fitzgerald's father claimed that Nazario made the accusations in an attempt "to get a lot of money," and his lawyers have said that they cannot discuss the case because a judge had it sealed.
In the media
Fitzgerald was featured on the cover of the EA SportsEA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
video game NCAAF 2005. He was also one of two players (with Troy Polamalu
Troy Polamalu
Troy Aumua Polamalu is an American football strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Steelers. He played college football at the University of Southern California.-High school:Troy Polamalu graduated...
) who are on the cover of Madden 2010. This makes him one of two people (along with Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and...
) in the history of the EA Sports American Football games to appear on two different covers.