Ranking Larry Fitzgerald's Top 5 Hall of Fame Moments

Over the course of 17 NFL seasons, Larry Fitzgerald profoundly contributed to the game of football and was honored for that with his induction, in his first year of eligibility, into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

There is no higher honor in the football community than to have your name and bust go into the Hall where legends of the games reside, and to receive the nod on the first nomination is a signal accomplishment that highlights what Fitzgerald means to the broader football world.

It is often remarked that Fitzgerald could be the governor of Arizona if he so chose, and while it is doubtful he steps into politics any time soon, the point remains that few athletes have ever so fully embodied an entire community. No history of the Arizona Cardinals, a team with over 100 years of it, could be written without a chapter dedicated to the greatest to ever put on the uniform.

It was an almost impossible task to reduce a career of this magnitude into just five moments which is a credit to the incredible accomplishments of one of the best wide receivers in the history of the game.

Here is my modest attempt.

No. 5 - Week 2 vs Chicago Bears, 2015

Sep 20, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) scores a touchdown against Chicago Bears cornerback Terrance Mitchell (20) and strong safety Antrel Rolle (26) during the second half of the NFL game at Soldier Field. Cardinals won 48-23. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

After smashing the New Orleans Saints at home to open the 2015 season, the Cardinals went on the road in Week 2 to face an old cross-city rival, the Chicago Bears.

The final score was a lopsided 48-23, one of the most dominant Cardinals victories of the past decade, in large part to the heroics of Fitzgerald. With just 8 receptions, he put up an efficient 112 yards and scored three times.

Those numbers have been recreated many times by the talented wide receivers of the NFL world, but Larry's performance early in 2015 presaged the historic season the Cardinals would have that year, going 13-3 and advancing to the NFC Championship game led by Carson Palmer, and of course, Fitz.

Even near the end of his career, with 11 seasons already under his belt, Fitzgerald showed up in a big way in his new role as a slot receiver and showed the rest of the team what greatness looks like.

No. 4 - Catching His 100th Touchdown Pass

Sep 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) catches his 100th NFL touchdown as New England Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan (26) defends during the second half at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

In the primetime Sunday slot in 2016, Fitzgerald accomplished a feat that only 11 wide receivers have ever passed: catching 100 touchdowns.

The then 33-year Fitz caught a fade from Palmer in the fourth quarter, battling New England Patriots CB Logan Ryan on the way down.

The most memorable aspect of this play wasn't really the catch, although it was impressive on its own. As far as Fitzgerald catches go, it was fairly banal, but crossing the plane of 100 touchdowns caught turned him into a living legend.

Of course, no major celebration occurred afterwards. A few fist pumps with his teammates. No spiking of the football. No dancing.

The ultimate professional, Fitz gave the ball to an official and went about his workday.

No. 3 - 2015 Divisional Round vs Green Bay Packers

One year ago today: the Hail Larry!

READ: https://t.co/jiOcsjRx8a

FULL GAME: https://t.co/sRgj7LNlsN pic.twitter.com/EOb7fR6339
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) January 16, 2017

No list of great Fitz moments could possibly be complete without his heroic outing in the Divisional Round against the Aaron Rodgers-led Green Bay Packers.

After two incredible hail mary's from the master himself, Rodgers tied things up at 20-20 in the fourth quarter, sending the game into an overtime period.

The Cardinals started overtime with the ball in their hands. On the very first play of the period, Palmer had to escape pressure in the pocket and rolled right. Looking across the field, he located a wide-open Fitzgerald and zipped a cross-body pass to the future Hall of Famer.

Never considered the fastest receiver in the league by any stretch, Fitz managed to evade the entire Packers secondary for a 75 yard gain on what was likely the second most electric catch and run in Cardinals history. (More on that in No.2)

Two plays later, another iconic play. The shovel pass from Palmer to Fitzgerald that sealed the 26-20 victory and a spot in the 2015 NFC Championship game.

Like all truly historic plays, this one has a nickname. The Hail Larry.

No. 2 - The Playoffs Run for the Ages

Happy 40th birthday to @LarryFitzgerald!

His run in the 2008 playoffs was legendary: 30 catches, 546 receiving yards & 7 TDs 🔥 (via @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/IJKOrnaGJL
— NFL (@NFL) August 31, 2023

The story of the legendary Larry Fitzgerald can't be told without mentioning his unreal playoffs run in 2008-09 season that took the Cardinals to their only Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.

Over just four games, Fitz put up one of the best playoffs stat lines of all time: 30 receptions, 546 receiving yards, and 7 touchdowns. To this day, he is the only wide receiver in NFL history to average over 100 receiving yards per game in a playoffs run.

His best yardage (166) was against the Carolina Panthers in the Divisional Round, but it was in the NFC Championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles where he truly put the team on his back, scoring three times and securing the Cardinals' first trip to the Big Game.

In the Super Bowl itself, it was Fitzgerald who, with only 2:37 left in the game, caught a pass from Kurt Warner and took it 64 yards straight to the house. This is arguably the most important play ever made by a player wearing Cardinal red. With a score of 23-20, it looked like one of the best receivers in the history of football had sealed the first Super Bowl win for a long-suffering franchise.

Of course, the football world knows how that game ended but it doesn't take away from the truly impressive feats of FItzgerald in this stretch of four games that solidified him, only a few years into his career, as one of the best to ever do it.

No. 1 - Winning Walter Payton Man of the Year, 2016

It would be easy to fill out several thousands of words just recounting the statistics and football accomplishments of a person like Larry Fitzgerald. All of those are important, and ultimately why he did become a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but for Arizona who Fitz is as a person matters just as much as the player.

Losing his mother to breast cancer while still in college at the University of Pittsburgh, Fitzgerald dedicated a tremendous amount of his time and money to supporting breast cancer awareness. First as one of the main spokesmen for the NFL's "A Crucial Catch" campaign, and more recently contributing $1 million through his foundation to Banner-MD Anderson. The Carol Fitzgerald Health Center in Phoenix is now named for his late mother.

Fitz has also contributed to a wide range of K-12 educational campaigns, partnering with companies like Microsoft to provide technology at underprivileged schools. He has also used his love for the game of chess to connect with youth and help them develop intellectual strategies they can use in their every day life.

His philanthropy extends beyond the United States, sponsoring the delivery of hearing aid technology in Asia and Africa, building classrooms in Ethiopia and Senegal, and raising awareness and providing aid during droughts in East Africa.

Cardinals fans are proud, and rightly so, of the football accomplishments of their most recent Hall of Fame inductee, but they are even more connected to Larry Fitzgerald because of the human being that he is. He is a clear and shining example of a person who took their work seriously and achieved massive success, but never lost sight of the true meaning of life; helping others.

The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award is meant to honor the players who impact their community beyond the gridiron. For the work that Fitzgerald did to help make the world a slightly better place and provide a role model for future generations of athletes, this award deserves to be No. 1 on this list.