No Drama, No Debate: Larry Fitzgerald Was Always Headed to Canton

The Pro Football Hall of Fame committee has made a mockery of itself this year, but at least they got one thing right by electing Arizona Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald in his first year of eligibility.

The tale of Fitzgerald's NFL career has many themes, but none more so than sportsmanship and loyalty. Larry Legend played the entirety of his 17-year career with one team: the Cardinals.

In what felt like his entire stint with the team, fans and media members alike pitied Fitzgerald for playing on one of the league's most historically bad franchises. Fitzgerald was the subject of trade talks on an annual basis, and rumors circulated the Cardinals were offered fortunes for his services.

Of course, a move never happened, but that never bothered Fitzgerald, who never requested a trade. Rather, he was loyal to the team that drafted him third overall in a loaded 2004 NFL Draft class. He went on to become one of the league's best receivers in both the 2000s and 2010s, with the production to back up those claims. His career numbers speak for themselves:

1,432 receptions (second-most ever)
17,492 receiving yards (second-most ever)
121 touchdown receptions (14th-most ever among all skill position players)
Nine seasons with 1,000+ receiving yards (tied for fourth-most ever)
Five seasons with 100+ receptions (one of nine players to do so)
11 Pro Bowl selections (second-most for a wide receiver)

I honestly could go on and on about his accolades, but I also have to include that he led the league in receptions in 2005 and 2016, as well as touchdown receptions in 2008 and 2009. It wasn't just longevity for Fitzgerald; it was dominant single seasons he stacked against all odds.

By that, I mean Fitzgerald caught passes from a whopping 17 different quarterbacks — one per year — and still managed to be ultra-productive on an annual basis.

Prior to his final season in 2020, he had never failed to record fewer than 700 receiving yards in a season. It helps when you play 263 career games, second-most ever behind Jerry Rice. Fitzgerald also played six straight seasons without missing a game, and 13 of his 17 seasons overall. Your best ability is reliability, and Fitzgerald was as reliable as it got at any position in any sport.

Playing with the Cardinals didn't give him many postseason opportunities, but his 2008 playoff run is legendary, to put it lightly.

In four games, Fitzgerald posted 546 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Both of those marks are NFL playoff records for a single run. His Super Bowl XLIII performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers was an all-timer, catching seven of his eight targets for 127 yards and two touchdowns. His 64-yard touchdown was nearly enough to finish the game before the Steelers' final game-winning drive.

Truly, the numbers speak for themselves, and don't worry, I didn't forget about his greatest, most incredible statistic ever, with more career tackles (41) than dropped passes (35). It's one of the best records in all of sports and should be mentioned whenever possible.

Of all of these feats, there is one that perhaps stands out above the rest. When all was said and done, Fitzgerald was the ultimate competitor and was anything but a trash talker. The popular phrase of "diva wide receiver" couldn't have been more the opposite of Fitzgerald, who was routinely complimented by opponents for his demeanor.

Seattle Seahawks legendary cornerback Richard Sherman once said he hated how nice Fitzgerald was because he was on a mission to shut him down.

And rather than showboating his many, many touchdowns, Fitzgerald was a class act and handed the ball to the referee 99% of the time. For Fitzgerald, scoring touchdowns was routine, and he was always focused on the next play instead of singular moments, no matter how great. You could scour the internet to find moments of Fitzgerald celebrating and find few results.

In every sense of the word, Fitzgerald was a man who displayed sportsmanship that many wish others had. You won't find many, if any, people who hate Fitzgerald for anything other than the way he dominated opponents.

It's all of this that made Fitzgerald a slam dunk to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

No controversies. No cheating. No antics. Nothing but pure football, and the National Football League should be forever grateful to have a man of Fitzgerald's caliber representing the sport forever.

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