Larry Fitzgerald looks back more on relationships he built in NFL career than accolades

Looking back on his 17-year NFL career, Arizona Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald takes pride in the relationships he built on and off the field that mean more to him than his on-field accomplishments.

Fitzgerald, who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday, said during a news conference Thursday that the relationships he created meant more than how many catches, touchdowns or wins he had, and they shaped him into who he is now.

“I’m really proud of the work I did in the community, the organizations we partnered with. I’m proud of the relationships I’ve developed with my teammates, coaching staff, administration, media,” Fitzgerald said. “Those things are what I really think about. Not often do I think about the catches and the touchdowns. I think about the authenticity of the relationships I was able to develop.”

One memory Fitzgerald recalled fondly involved former Cardinals athletic trainer John Omohundro, who was the first person to curse out Fitzgerald during a game early in his career.

“I was messing with him, and I made a joke he didn’t like, and he unleashed on me … all these lessons these old wily veterans have been in the game for a long, long time to teach a 20-year-old kid who thought he had all the answers,” Fitzgerald said. “Those are the memories that as you get older, you look back and think those are the times that kind of shaped who you were as an individual.

“It didn’t always have to do with yards and catches and wins and losses, but it was life examples. I think those are the memories I’ll always look back on that really resonate with me.”

Beyond the on-field accolades, such as being selected to the Pro Bowl 11 times or having the second-most career receiving yards, Fitzgerald has made several community contributions, including founding the Larry Fitzgerald Foundation. The organization, established in honor of Fitzgerald’s late mother, Carol, focuses on charitable efforts toward education, breast care support, after-school programs, technology and more.

Fitzgerald was named co-winner of the 2016 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year along with former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning for their humanitarian work in their respective communities.

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