Larry Fitzgerald
Born: August 31, 1983
Birthplace: Minneapolis, MN
Zodiac Sign: Virgo
Career and Life
Larry Darnell Fitzgerald Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Pittsburgh, where he earned unanimous All-America honors. He was drafted by the Cardinals third overall in the 2004 NFL Draft.
Fitzgerald has been selected for the Pro Bowl eleven times. He was named First-team All-Pro in 2008 and Second-team All-Pro twice in 2009 and 2011. As of November 2018, he is second in NFL career receiving yards, third in career receptions, and seventh in receiving touchdowns.
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 in 2003. During the 2008 season, Larry Fitzgerald was accused of domestic violence against Angela Nazario, who filed for an order of protection against him.
In 2016, Fitzgerald completed his undergraduate degree with the University of Phoenix, fulfilling a promise that he made to his mother to finish his education. Since graduation he has become a paid spokesperson for the University of Phoenix. Fitzgerald is an avid traveler and has visited nearly 100 countries worldwide. He has two sons.
Fitzgerald developed a friendship with Arizona politician John McCain, and spoke at the memorial service for the U.S. senator and Presidential candidate held in Phoenix on August 30, 2018.
Fitzgerald established the “Larry Fitzgerald First Down Fund” to help kids and their families by funding positive activities for kids during the summer and throughout the year, supporting kids and families in crisis and supporting health-related organizations that work with families. One initiative the “First Down Fund” holds each summer are youth football camps in Arizona and Minnesota. In May 2014, Fitzgerald and Lenovo provided five schools in Minneapolis and four schools in Phoenix Lenovo tablets and equipment to enable the children to gain access to technology. The First Down Fund made a donation to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation to help refurbish a basketball court at Rev Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Park. The court received new hoops, poles, backboards and benches. He also partnered with Riddell to provide new helmets to 1,000 kids in the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation football program.
Fitzgerald established the “Carol Fitzgerald Memorial Fund” in honor of his mother who died of breast cancer in 2003. The organization offers support to causes that Fitzgerald's mother held dear, including educating urban youth about HIV/AIDS and breast cancer issues. He has served as an NFL spokesman for the league-wide breast cancer awareness initiative “A Crucial Catch” for three years and every October makes donations to breast cancer organizations based on his touchdowns and receptions during the month.
In 2014, Fitzgerald was selected as the 2014 Henry P. Iba Citizen Athlete Male Recipient, which was created in 1994 by the Rotary Club of Tulsa to recognize an influential male and female premiere athlete for their success in their sport and for being a positive role model who gives back to their communities.
During the 2013 season, Fitzgerald was honored with the NFL Players Association Georgetown Lombardi Award. The award was established to honor a leader in the sports industry whose life and family have been touched by cancer, and who encourages cancer research, prevention and treatment through awareness and philanthropy.
Following the 2012 football season, Fitzgerald was named the “Arizona Cardinals/Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year” and was one of three finalists for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. In August 2012, he was honored with the 14th annual Pro Football Weekly Arthur S. Arkush Humanitarian Award for his community and charitable contributions.
During the 2011, 2012, and 2014 off-seasons, Fitzgerald joined other NFL players partaking in mission trips to Africa, India, Thailand, and the Philippines to support economic development projects. He has worked with Starkey Hearing Foundation to provide hearing aids for children and adults in need in eight countries. Fitzgerald has also made five USO tours to visit soldiers overseas and has raised financial support for injured and critically ill members of the U.S. military.
Fitzgerald was featured on the cover of the EA Sports video game NCAA Football 2005. He was also one of two players (along with Troy Polamalu) featured on the cover of Madden NFL 10, making them the first two players to be featured on a Madden NFL cover together.