Larry Fitzgerald News: Pro Sports Daily

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January 21

East Valley Tribune

"Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald has pulled out of the Pro Bowl and will be replaced by New York Giants receiver Steve Smith. Fitzgerald pulled out of the Jan. 31 game in Miami, citing a knee injury suffered in December against San Francisco. Cardinals cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie also won't play after suffering a knee injury in last week's playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints. And Darren Urban of azcardinals.com reports that safety Adrian Wilson has said, with his wife expecting, he isn't going either."

Fitzgerald and Packers' Jennings form bond

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January 9

Arizona Republic

"Publicly, the Cardinals have been saying all the right things this week about the Green Bay Packers, their playoff opponent on Sunday. Privately, they scowl at the very mention of names such as Aaron Rodgers, Charles Woodson and Ryan Grant. Well, everybody but Larry Fitzgerald, that is. The Cardinals receiver plans on eating with the enemy Saturday night. Fitzgerald has forged a close friendship with Packers receiver Greg Jennings. He invited Jennings to come train with him in Minneapolis in the off-season and the two plan to have dinner together Saturday in Glendale. "Greg is first-class and I really respect him as a human being," Fitzgerald said Friday. "I also appreciate his work ..."

Clearing up why Fitzgerald played late vs. Packers

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January 5

Arizona Republic

"Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt's primary goal in last Sunday's game was for his team to emerge healthy. So it was fair to ask why receiver Larry Fitzgerald was playing in the fourth quarter. After the game, Fitzgerald said: "Coach didn't ask me to come out of the game. That's my job to play ball until he tells me to come out. You got to be committed to the cause." Whisenhunt cited a slightly different "cause" when asked Monday why Fitzgerald was still in the game. "Well, Larry wanted the touchdown and he wanted 100 receptions," Whisenhunt said. "That was something that was important to him. That's the competitive side of Larry." There has been speculation that Fitzgerald was still in the ..."

Head to head, one on one

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January 4

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"If Sunday was any indication, the matchup to watch next Sunday when the Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals meet in the playoffs is cornerback Charles Woodson vs. receiver Larry Fitzgerald. In the Packers' 33-7 victory at University of Phoenix Stadium on Sunday, Woodson spent a good deal of time on Fitzgerald and in a classic one-on-one moment, beat him to the ball for an interception that he returned 45 yards for a touchdown. It was classic Woodson. He anticipated an in-route and then bumped Fitzgerald a second before the ball arrived, gaining enough position to reach up and snare the ball with both hands. His nose for the end zone did the rest. "I'm sure there are a lot of excellent ..."

Fitzgerald, Jennings share rivalry, receiving tips

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December 31

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"It's a good thing the Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals appear headed for a post-season matchup. The top receivers for each team, Greg Jennings and Larry Fitzgerald, will need the extra game to try to outdo one another. It's happened before, in the off-season, when their burgeoning rivalry of mutual admiration began. When Jennings accepted an out-of-the-blue invitation from Fitzgerald to work out with other NFL stars last summer in his native Minneapolis, the two squared off at the pingpong table. Jennings won in Fitzgerald's home in early July."

Cards' Fitzgerald over 1,000 yards again

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December 20

Arizona Republic

"Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald went over 1,000 receiving yards for the fourth time in his six pro seasons in Sunday's game against the Lions. Only three other players have done that: Randy Moss (6), Torry Holt (5), Chad Ochocinco (5). Fitzgerald is the first player in franchise history to record 1,000-yard seasons three consecutive years. He and Anquan Boldin are the only receivers in franchise history to have four 1,000-yard seasons."

Cardinals WR Fitzgerald will play vs. Lions

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December 20

NFL.com

"Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald is expected to play Sunday against the Lions, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. Fitzgerald's main concern is a bone contusion in his knee, and it's more a matter of playing with pain, not further injury or aggravation. Update: Fitzgerald is active and scheduled to start, according to a league source."

Fitz says he's in; Gandy is out

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December 19

Arizona Republic

"Receiver Larry Fitzgerald increased his workload in Friday's practice and said afterward there is no doubt he is going to play Sunday at Detroit. Fitzgerald suffered a bone contusion and sprained ligament in his right knee Monday night against San Francisco. He has been limited in practice all week, and I would guess he will be listed as questionable. The injury report isn't out yet."

Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald looks better in practice

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December 18

Arizona Republic

"Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald practiced for the second consecutive day on Thursday and reported no problems with the sprained knee ligament and bone contusion in his right leg. "He did more today and he felt better, so those are good signs," coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "We'll (monitor) him and hopefully he won't have any negative effects that show up (Friday) and he'll be able to do even more, which would make us feel a lot better about his chances to play Sunday." Fitzgerald has insisted he plans to play against the Lions. "Well, that's the way you want him to feel," Whisenhunt said. "That's how you make it in this league.""

Cardinals' Fitzgerald limited in practice, says he'll play Sunday

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December 17

Arizona Republic

"Sprawled in front of his locker Wednesday, Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald looked like he was playing Twister. Only there was nothing fun about the tape job on his right knee, or his re-enacting how he suffered a sprained ligament and a bone contusion. "It was scary," Fitzgerald said of the play in the third quarter of the 49ers game Monday night. "I felt a pop in there and when you feel that you immediately hope for the best." Fitzgerald's situation might not be the best, but it's far better than the Cardinals originally feared. He suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament, but the bone contusion is causing him more pain. Fitzgerald participated in a portion of practice Wednesday ..."

Fitzgerald expects to play

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December 17

East Valley Tribune

"Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzerald, who suffered a sprained right knee and bone bruise in Monday's loss to San Francisco, said he expects to play this Sunday against the Detroit Lions. "I'll be out there ready to help my guys out," said Fitzgerald, who went through a limited practice on Wednesday. An MRI on Tuesday determined the injury was not as serious as Fitzgerald first feared. Fitzgerald has started 37 consecutive games for Arizona.Fitzgerald said the knee is still a "little painful," but he was able to do some light running in Wednesday's workout. "By Friday I'll be feeling really good," he said."

Cardinals optimistic, but Fitzgerald's availability uncertain

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December 16

Arizona Republic

"Cardinals Pro Bowl receiver Larry Fitzgerald suffered a bone bruise and a sprained right knee Monday night, according to results of an MRI exam, and his availability for Sunday's game at Detroit will be determined this week. There is no other structural damage, and his knee is stable, the Cardinals said Tuesday. Fitzgerald's leg bent back awkwardly while he tried to make a third-quarter catch in a 24-9 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. He missed one series but re-entered the game after going to the locker room for treatment. "He felt well enough to come back, and the doctors felt good enough about him coming back to allow him to do that," coach Ken Whisenhunt said. " . . . I'm encouraged ..."

49ers' Spencer will be physical against Fitzgerald

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December 12

Sacramento Bee

"Mike Singletary said the key to stopping the Cardinals' wide receiver trio Monday night is getting in their faces and knocking them off their routes. He won't have to tell Shawntae Spencer twice. "I'm definitely better at playing press (coverage)," the cornerback said Friday. "If I had my way, I would do it all the time, every play." Coming back from a torn knee ligament in the offseason, Spencer spent just as much time in the film room as he did the training room. His subject of choice: cornerbacks who, like him, are a little taller than the norm. He studied contemporary fare, such as the New York Jets' Darrelle Revis and the Raiders' Nnamdi Asomugha, two of the best at their position. ..."

Fitzgerald 2nd-fastest to 500 grabs

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November 30

Arizona Republic

"Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald caught his 500th career pass Sunday, reaching that milestone in the second-fewest games (87) in history. Teammate Anquan Boldin caught his 500th pass in his 80th game. Fitzgerald, however, caught just four passes for 34 yards and was targeted only five times. Asked if he would have liked to see the Cardinals throw deep more often, Fitzgerald smiled and said: "We did what we had to do to go out there and try to put ourselves in position to win." Breaking a big one Rookie LaRod Stephens-Howling has excelled all season in punt and kick coverage, but he hadn't contributed much as a kick returner. Until Sunday. Stephens-Howling scored on a 99-yard ..."

Can Seahawks cover Fitzgerald?

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November 15

Tacoma News Tribune

"For all of the talk about Larry Fitzgerald's imposing physique and jumping ability, strong hands might be the most valuable asset of the best receiver in the NFL. "He's got long arms, and he's got very strong hands, very big hands," said Seattle defensive backs coach Tim Lewis. "It's hard to play around him. It's hard to play through him, so unless you're in the perfect position, he's going to make you pay." The Seahawks, too many times on the receiving end of his big plays, are acutely aware what he can do, even when they think they have him covered. In his past five games against Seattle, Fitzgerald, 6-foot-3, 220-pounder, has 41 receptions for 547 yards and four touchdowns. Last season, ..."

Tillman out with injury to shoulder

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November 9

Chicago Sun-Times

"None of the Bears' defensive players looked particularly indispensable Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, but if the team can ill afford to lose one, it might be cornerback Charles Tillman. The veteran left the game in the second quarter with a shoulder injury. Tillman was quick to return from injuries to both shoulders last season but had reconstructive surgery on his right shoulder in January, his second shoulder surgery in four years. The Bears have used him to match up on the opponent's top wide receiver for more than a month now, though that experience didn't work so well against Larry Fitzgerald, who finished with nine receptions for 123 yards and caught two touchdown passes while ..."

Harris' punch KO's own team

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November 9

Chicago Sun-Times

columnist Rick Telander

"It's one thing to lose a game. It's another thing to lose your dignity. The Bears lost both Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. On a bizarrely -- deceptively -- gorgeous day, defensive tackle Tommie Harris acted the warm-weather fool and was thrown out of Soldier Field after only four plays. Two minutes. Less, actually. The strange guy took a $6.67 million roster bonus from rapidly fading general manager Jerry Angelo last March, and now he's either: a) lazy; b) injured; c) deluded; d) deeply troubled. Or any combination of the above. No. 91 led the journey into the deep mud. I'm thinking Harris needs a shrink as much as he needs knee rehab. But quarterback Jay Cutler getting flagged for ..."

Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald puts on quite a show for his relatives

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November 9

Chicago Tribune

"Sally Fitzgerald has been a Bears fan for about 30 years. And her all-time favorite player? " Walter Payton," she said. "But today I didn't want (the Bears) to win. Honey, it was just a thrill watching my grandson." Wearing a No. 11 Cardinals jersey outside the visiting team's locker room Sunday at Soldier Field, she watched Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald put on a show. He caught nine passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns as the Cardinals routed the Bears 41-21. Sally Fitzgerald watches her grandson in person six or seven times a year. "If I don't see him here, I go to Arizona," she said. Larry Fitzgerald, 26, appreciates the support from his grandmother and other Chicago ..."

Fitzgerald's TD a long time coming

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October 21

Arizona Republic

"There are tougher ways to earn a living than writing about football (pretty much any other job), but watching practices can become tedious. After the first couple thousand, workouts tend to look pretty much like same, like heads of lettuce. One day, on the sideline of a practice field, I calculated in my head the number of practices I've attended, and then quickly forgot the number because it was so disturbing. On occasion, however, you see something that makes you stop and look at the person next to you to make sure it really happened. That was the case a couple of months ago when the Cardinals were working on their goal-line offense. Receiver Larry Fitzgerald split to the left and at ..."

Fitzgerald honors mother

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October 9

Arizona Republic

columnist Paola Boivin

""We saw death a lot," Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald said. "We saw people pass away." It came with the territory if you were the son of Carol Fitzgerald, whose life Larry will honor during Sunday's Cardinals-Texans game as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. She not only was an investigator for the Minnesota Department of Heath but a philanthropist who founded Circle of Love, an HIV support group. Her sons often were in tow during these meetings. He wants you to know Carol's story. When she discovered a lump in her breast when Larry was 13, the subsequent diagnosis of cancer that had spread to her lymph nodes was upsetting, but the family, thanks to Carol, was equipped to ..."

Texans set sights on stopping Fitzgerald

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October 8

Houston Chronicle

"Sports Illustrated covers. Recurring highlight-reel roles. Postseason records. Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald was "the man" during Arizona's run to the Super Bowl last season. Fitzgerald is a marked man now, and the Cardinals are still working through the adjustment period. Early opponents have succeeded in taking the deep pass play away from the Cardinals, who already have lost both of their home games in defense of their first NFC title. But Fitzgerald is encouraged by what he has seen in film of the Texans this season. "They are going to be up in your face. They are going to pressure you. They are going to be after you," Fitzgerald said. "We have to take some shots down the field, ..."

Simply put, a 'great player'

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September 25

Indianapolis Star

"As the impressionable young son of a sportswriter, Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald met some of Minnesota's biggest sports names. The brushes with greatness had a profound impact. "I was around Kirby Puckett, taking batting practice, joking around and catching fly balls with him before games,'' Fitzgerald said of the former Twins outfielder. "I was at shootarounds with (former Timberwolves forward) Kevin Garnett when I was a child. I was at practice with (retired Vikings receiver) Cris Carter. "At a young age, I really kind of saw what I wanted to do and what it was going to take to get there. I saw the work ethic and I saw how much it meant to them. Not only do you have to have a ..."

Cards unfazed by Fitzgerald tweets

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September 24

Arizona Republic

"It will take more than a tweet to send the relationship between Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald and quarterback Kurt Warner all a twitter. Both spent part of Wednesday laughing off tweets made by Fitzgerald's younger brother, Marcus, during the Cardinals game Sunday against the Jaguars. According to Marcus, his older brother was irritated at not getting the ball enough. And Marcus referred to Warner as an "old man." "I kind of chuckled about it because everyone in here (the locker room) knows about me and Kurt's relationship," Larry Fitzgerald said. "That's never going to be affected by anything outlandish like that. That's what being friends is about." Not that Warner let the tweets ..."

Coach not worried about Fitzgerald

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September 22

Arizona Republic

"Don't worry about Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald turning into Terrell Owens - at least when it comes to whining about not getting enough passes thrown his way. Though Fitzgerald was tied for 44th in the NFL in receiving yards after Sunday's 31-17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, nobody on the Cardinals is concerned about Fitzgerald becoming the next diva receiver. In fact, he's quite the opposite, Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "Yeah, I would say so," he said Monday. Fitzgerald, who caught four passes for 34 yards and a touchdown, bringing his two-game season total to 10 for 105 yards and two scores, was not animated about not getting enough touches. What he was excited ..."

Fitzgerald emerging as team leader

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August 4

Arizona Republic

"A year ago at training camp, Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley teased receiver Larry Fitzgerald about being a one-trick pony. Could Fitzgerald do more than run down the sideline and out-jump smaller defenders for the ball? Could he learn to run after the catch? Create more separation with his routes? Haley's barbs were exaggerated to make a point, but Fitzgerald took them to heart. He displayed an array of receiving and running skills in helping the Cardinals to their first Super Bowl. He turned in one of the best-ever postseasons for a receiver, setting records for receptions, yards and touchdowns. So, as the 2009 season begins, it's fair to wonder not only whether Fitzgerald can ..."

Fear of failure fuels Fitzgerald

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August 2

East Valley Tribune

columnist Scott Bordow

"Cornerback Bryant McFadden thought he knew what made Larry Fitzgerald special. The 6-foot-3, 217-pound frame he uses to shield defenders. His extraordinary leaping ability. Hands that can pluck a football out of the air while being slapped at by two defenders. Cornerback Bryant McFadden thought he knew what made Larry Fitzgerald special. The 6-foot-3, 217-pound frame he uses to shield defenders. His extraordinary leaping ability. Hands that can pluck a football out of the air while being slapped at by two defenders. Then McFadden signed a free-agent contract with the Cardinals in the offseason and discovered the truth. "It's hard to imagine a guy like that is still so hungry after ..."

Fitzgerald OK after awkward catch

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June 2

Arizona Republic

"For a minute or two, it looked as if the first day of June would bring gloom to the Cardinals. Receiver Larry Fitzgerald landed awkwardly while making a sideline catch over cornerback Bryant McFadden in voluntary practice Monday. Fitzgerald did the splits as he landed, his legs twisting as they went opposite directions. Fitzgerald, one of the NFL's best receivers, walked gingerly away, head athletic trainer Tom Reed at his side, and then returned to action later in practice. You could have powered a generator with the sighs of relief. "The only thing I said to Michael Bidwill (team president) is I was sorry I didn't beat Tom Reed over there to evaluate him," General Manager Rod Graves ..."

Fitzgerald's off-season offers a few parallels

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May 3

Arizona Republic

"Football fields are just like the plains of Africa. Only the strong survive. The only exception is in Detroit, where the lions have no teeth. Larry Fitzgerald witnessed the parallel up close and personal. After visiting the troops in Iraq and touring the pyramids of Egypt, the Cardinals wide receiver spent time at the Kruger National Park in South Africa. And you thought the Steelers defense was intimidating? Fitzgerald saw a leopard drag a gazelle into a tree. "He ripped it apart, and everything inside hit the ground," Fitzgerald said. "There were hyenas down there, and they just tore it apart. Blood was flying everywhere." He saw a leopard snatch a baby from the womb of a Cape buffalo. ..."

Another Fitzgerald takes his own route to the NFL

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May 1

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Marcus Fitzgerald attended a handful of regular-season games in which his older brother, Arizona Cardinals standout Larry Jr., played last year. Marcus also was in attendance throughout the playoffs as Larry's numerous receptions helped the Cardinals reach the Super Bowl. While Marcus was proud, he also longed for the chance to demonstrate his own skills. That wasn't possible after the wide receiver suffered a torn hamstring while doing the 40-yard dash at his 2008 Pro Day at Marshall. The injury meant Marcus didn't have the opportunity to catch on with a team in the spring and he ended up spending his time in the Twin Cities working out and keeping his focus on getting a chance. That ..."

Fitzgerald featured on video game cover

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April 24

Arizona Republic

"Like many people his age, Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald grew up playing the Madden NFL video games. A big Vikings fan, Fitzgerald loved to have quarterback Daunte Culpepper throwing deep to Randy Moss. Now, Fitzgerald, 25, is on the video game's cover for 2010, long hair flowing out of the back of his helmet, face to face with Steelers strong safety Troy Polamalu. The cover was announced Friday morning, and Fitzgerald is in New York doing promotional work. It's no accident that the Cardinals open the preseason against the Steelers on Aug. 13, the day before the video game is released. "It's a unique year," Fitzgerald said. "It's the first time in the game's history that two guys ..."

Larry Fitzgerald leads the NFC over the AFC

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February 9

Honolulu Star-Bulletin

"The game-winning catch Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald longed for in the Super Bowl arrived a week late. His 2-yard touchdown reception from New York's Eli Manning with 4:03 left put the NFC ahead for good en route to a 30-21 win yesterday over the AFC before an announced Aloha Stadium crowd of 49,958. Fitzgerald thought his stunning 64-yard scoring catch at last week's Super Bowl would lead the Cardinals to a huge win, only to see Pittsburgh's Santonio Holmes upstage him late with his tiptoe tap dance from 6 yards out. And while the talented Cardinals receiver would trade weekends no questions asked, his two-TD performance in yesterday's NFL All-Star game will have to do. Fitzgerald caught ..."

A record performance becomes afterthought

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February 2

San Francisco Chronicle

"In a span of two minutes, Larry Fitzgerald's multiple playoff records and rousing second-half pass-catching comeback were reduced to Super Bowl XLIII minutiae. The NFL's best receiver had only one catch in the first half but rebounded with six receptions in the Cardinals' frenzied comeback from a 13-point third-quarter deficit. Two of those catches resulted in touchdowns, a 1-yard pass from Kurt Warner and a beautiful 64-yard catch-and-run that allowed Fitzgerald to watch himself cross the goal line on Raymond James Stadium's JumboTron. He finished with 30 receptions for 546 yards and seven touchdowns in four playoff games, establishing NFL records in all three categories for a single ..."

Super Bowl report: Fitzgerald's pyrotechnics for naught

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February 2

Rocky Mountain News

"Larry Fitzgerald was like a ticking time bomb that finally went off in the fourth quarter Sunday. Limited to one catch for 12 yards through the first 45 minutes of the game while facing numerous double teams, and with his team trailing by 13 points, the Arizona Cardinals receiver lived up to his pregame billing as one of the NFL's pre-eminent stars. He nearly willed his team to victory late. Fitzgerald had four catches, capped by a leaping, two-handed 1-yard scoring reception to pull the Cards close. He then helped put Arizona ahead 23-20 by splitting Pittsburgh's cover-2 defense and sprinting down the vacated middle of the field for a 64-yard touchdown. "In the second half, we put Larry ..."

Cardinals' game plan didn't include Larry Fitzgerald enough

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February 2

Chicago Tribune

columnist Dan Pompei

"The play-by-play sheet says the Cardinals lost to the Steelers with 35 seconds left in the game, but really, they lost to the Steelers before the fourth quarter ever began. The Cardinals might have put the game away long before Santonio Holmes' dramatic touchdown if Larry Fitzgerald had played a bigger role in the Super Bowl production than the third saxophonist from the right in the Bethune-Cookman Marching Wildcats band. "The Steelers wanted to take me out of the game," Fitzgerald said. "I would be lying if I told you I wasn't a little bit [frustrated]. But I knew I had to keep my composure and keep playing." Here is everything you need to know about the Cardinals' offensive game plan in ..."

Fitzgerald's late heroics not enough

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February 2

East Valley Tribune

"The final numbers in Super Bowl XLIII showed yet another huge postseason game for Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Seven catches, 127 yards and two touchdowns are the stuff MVPs are made of. But, much like the Cardinals' offense as a whole, the bulk of that total came in the final quarter as Arizona nearly pulled off the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history. Fitzgerald was held to just one catch through three quarters as the Steelers often disrupted him by playing him close to the line. And the Steelers got enough of a pass rush that, although they didn't sack Kurt Warner often, it was too late for him to get the ball to Fitzgerald by the time the receiver got past the coverage at ..."

Fitzgerald gave Cards a chance to win

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February 2

Arizona Republic

"He was the story line before the story. Larry Fitzgerald entered his first Super Bowl as the postseason's most dynamic performer. Just give him the ball, and the Cardinals surely would have a chance. The longhaired, laidback receiver nearly pulled it off in Sunday's 27-23 loss. Fitzgerald set postseason records for receiving yardage (546), receptions (30) and touchdowns (seven), but the disappointing finish trumped his accomplishments. "I just feel empty right now, to be honest," Fitzgerald said. "Kind of like it was all for nothing." On the biggest stage of his career, in a postseason that has hosted his national coming-out party, Fitzgerald caught seven passes for 127 yards and two ..."

A dad's proud moment - and a mom's legacy

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January 30

Miami Herald

columnist Greg Cote

"Everything about the Super Bowl has grown so big, so oversized. It's nationwide. Gone global. It can seem all corporate and cold. So it's refreshing when, once in a while, something about the game can be distilled to its essence and seem as small and intensely personal as a warm embrace, or a snapshot in a family album. ``Hi, Dad.'' You heard it spoken at one of the media sessions here this week. Simple, routine words but rather remarkable in context. The speaker was Larry Fitzgerald, the Arizona Cardinals' phenomenal young receiver who just happens to be the best player in this NFL championship game. The recipient of the casual greeting was Larry Fitzgerald -- the other one, the original ..."

Fitzgerald's hands elevate his status

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January 29

Arizona Republic

"Larry Fitzgerald doesn't have the whole world in his hands. It just seems like it. The way he pulls footballs out of the sky is becoming legendary. It could be immortalized Sunday in Super Bowl XLIII if the Cardinals receiver continues his postseason pattern with another clutch performance. Already having surpassed Jerry Rice's NFL record for most receiving yards (419) in the playoffs (in the same number of games, three, that Rice needed), Fitzgerald's transformation from great player to megastar in a month is among the faster climbs by an athlete in pro sports history. And it's all because of the hands. They're so big you lose sight of your own hand when he reaches out to shake it. ..."

Cards' Larry Fitzgerald caught on at young age

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January 29

New York Daily News

columnist Tim Smith

"For the last two decades, Larry Fitzgerald has been preparing to scale the heights of professional football. Growing up in Minneapolis as the son of a sports writer, he was exposed to superb athletes on a regular basis. As a ball boy for the Vikings, Fitzgerald got to observe and talk to talented receivers such as Cris Carter, Anthony Carter, Randy Moss and Jake Reed. At the University of Pittsburgh, Fitzgerald shared a training facility with Steelers receivers Hines Ward and Plaxico Burress. "I think everything I did in terms of my preparation as a youth to get here has paid off for me," Fitzgerald said. "I didn't go out and I didn't drink or smoke. I didn't do a lot of the things other ..."

Cardinals' Fitzgerald not ready to return to earth

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January 29

Philadelphia Daily News

"Uneasy rest the flowing braids that wear the crown as Super Bowl week's dominant player.Or so an eloquent sage once said. Shakespeare? Emmitt Smith? Details are fuzzy.Talking to Larry Fitzgerald, though, you get the sense he isn't sure that he's "all that," the way the media, his teammates, the opposing Pittsburgh Steelers and the public seem to think."It's a little different, a little weird," Fitzgerald, 25, said yesterday. "I'm trying to get there. I want to be a dominant player in this game. But as I watch myself on tape, there's still things I really need to improve on, to be the consistently dominant player that you see - the LaDainian Tomlinsons, the Peyton Mannings . . . they've ..."

A coverage matchup that could be Taylor-made for stardom

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January 29

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

columnist Ron Cook

"What a fabulous moment in time: the best cover cornerback in NFL history setting up to interview the young corner who has to be the best cover guy on the field Sunday if the Steelers are going to win Super Bowl XLIII. Ike Taylor doesn't appear to be the least bit intimidated by the idea of trying to stop Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. But Taylor clearly was in awe when Deion Sanders stopped by to chat. " 'Prime Time,' " Taylor said, quietly. "That's who I've always wanted to be like." His answers to Sanders' questions for the NFL Network weren't nearly as interesting as their conversation afterward. Taylor asked if he could ship Sanders his game tapes to be critiqued. ..."

THE X's

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January 29

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"In a playful moment during Super Bowl media day at Raymond James Stadium, Cardinals rookie cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, came up behind teammate Ralph Brown, put his hands on Brown's shoulders and leapfrogged over the 5-foot-10 cornerback. He landed like a gymnast executing a perfect 10. Rodgers-Cromartie, the Cardinals' No. 1 draft pick, will attempt another difficult task in Super Bowl XLIII: Keep Santonio Holmes from making big plays. That might be harder than leapfrogging a teammate. "A born playmaker," Rodgers-Cromartie said of Holmes, who has been just that in the postseason. Holmes, pictured above left, has helped ignite his team in each of the playoff victories against ..."

Fitzgerald is among legends

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January 28

Washington Times

"It would have been no surprise if Pittsburgh Steelers defensive backs coach Ray Horton reeled off names like Cris Carter, Randy Moss and Jerry Rice to compare to Larry Fitzgerald. In the last 20 years, that distinguished trio represents the gold standard among NFL receivers. Instead, Horton went old school - Hall of Fame old school. "Paul Warfield, Otis Taylor, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth - can I keep going on with these legendary receivers?" he said during Tuesday's Super Bowl media day at Raymond James Stadium. Fitzgerald, just 25 years old, in his fifth year and preparing for his fourth postseason game, already belongs in that company? "No question, he does," Horton said. That kind of ..."

Fitz offers Boldin assistance

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January 28

Arizona Republic

"Receiver Larry Fitzgerald would be willing to restructure his contract if it means the team can keep receiver Anquan Boldin, but cap space isn't the problem in extending Boldin's contract. Fitzgerald's willingness to alter the four-year, $40 million contract he signed last spring was reported on the NFL Network on Tuesday. The Cardinals, however, are about $41 million under the 2009 salary cap, so cap space isn't an issue with Boldin. That $41 million figure is misleading, Cardinals officials said, because it doesn't include escalator clauses, option bonuses and tenders to free agents, most of which begin to count against the cap in March. The main obstacle in a new deal with Boldin is ..."

Fitzgerald has ties to Steelers

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January 28

Philadelphia Inquirer

"As a kid in Minnesota, Larry Fitzgerald was a fan of Penn State football. That love and a passing storm led him to attend the University of Pittsburgh."I was a Big Ten guy," the star wide receiver said, "but the [Minnesota Golden] Gophers were terrible when I was growing up. I played linebacker, too, and I always liked LaVar Arrington and Brandon Short and I always wanted to be a Penn State linebacker."Fitzgerald was driving with his high school coach to Happy Valley for a visit when the weather turned bad."It was raining really hard and the visibility wasn't good enough, so we spent the night in Pittsburgh," Fitzgerald said. "My high school coach told me that Tony Dorsett and Dan Marino ..."

Fitzgerald willing to restructure to keep Boldin

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January 27

NFL.com

"Questions surround Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin and his future in Arizona. But one of the keys to it could turn out to be Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Just as Fitzgerald accepted a four-year, $40 million deal from Arizona last year when he could have made considerably more on the open market so he could leave the Cardinals cap space, Fitzgerald would like to help the Cardinals again. Fitzgerald is willing to restructure his contract so that the Cardinals can redo Boldin’s and keep him in Arizona long-term. Boldin wants his deal redone and said during the season that he never would re-sign with Arizona again, but many around the league believe that as long as the ..."

Cards' Fitzgerald can be included among great athletes he grew up around

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January 27

Kansas City Star

"Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has been surrounded by superstar athletes all his life. Unfortunately, not many were with the Arizona Cardinals during the first few years of his NFL career. But Fitzgerald, taking advantage of the access granted by a dad with a press pass in Minneapolis, learned about work ethic as a teenager while shagging footballs as a Minnesota Vikings ball boy for Randy Moss and Cris Carter. Fitzgerald learned leadership and humility while hanging out with Kevin Garnett of the Timberwolves. He watched in awe and learned about professionalism from Kirby Puckett and Kent Hrbek of the Twins. He even got some words of wisdom from hockey star Mike Modano before the North ..."