No Arizona Cardinals fan wants to imagine a world without Larry Fitzgerald. The moment that he joined the team in 2004, Fitz remained a bright spot during many bleak seasons. From the mire of the Josh McCown years to the Kurt Warner era to the subsequent years with Kevin Kolb, Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton, Josh Rosen, Kyler Murray and more, Larry Fitzgerald gave Cardinals fans hope. If Fitz had a good game, then we had a good game.
So, it’s shocking that Fitzgerald’s tenure with the Cardinals almost didn’t come to pass. If he had made one decision in his life differently, we would never have seen him don the No. 11 and become one of the greatest wide receivers of all time.
Larry Fitzgerald Shares Story Of How He Nearly ‘Lost His Shot’ At His Dreams
Fitzgerald shared a throwback photo on June 4, one of a young Larry wearing his uniform from Valley Forge Military Academy.
“I almost lost my shot at playing Division 1 football because I couldn’t get out of my own way,” wrote Fitzgerald. “Looking at this photo makes me laugh now, but that kid? He had no clue what was coming. No idea how much discipline, structure, and purpose would change his life.”
Fitzgerald said that he “dreamt of playing Division 1 football my entire life, but my lack of discipline during high school to live my dreams.” Despite being a two-time First-team All-State wide receiver, he didn’t meet the NCAA academic requirements to play football as a freshman.
The future Arizona Cardinals legend knew he had two options. “I could either go to junior college for two years and get my associate’s degree, or I could go to military school at Valley Forge and get my act together,” he wrote. As a “habitual procrastinator who needed discipline and structure,” Larry and his family talked it over and decided he needed to go to Valley Forge.
The Minnesota native then packed his bags and enrolled at Valley Forge in Pennsylvania. “I’ll never forget my first night [there],” he wrote. “Lying in bed, a thousand miles from home, listening to Taps playing in the distance, I was incredibly emotional and homesick.”
However, his father had given him a guide: a “simple folder with an NFL logo on it.” Fitzgerald placed that folder above his bunk so that the NFL logo would be the last thing he saw at night and the first thing he saw when waking up.
“You could say it was an OG vision board; it wasn’t just a reminder but my lifeline. That logo kept me grounded in purpose, reminding me every time I looked at it exactly why I was there, why discipline mattered, and why those tough nights far from home were worth it.”
Fitzgerald ended his trip down memory lane by reminding everyone: “Every goal requires relentless focus and often sacrifice.”
Fitzgerald Found The Discipline
After a year at Valley Forge, Fitzgerald enrolled in the University of Pittsburgh and its NCAA Division I football team, the Pittsburgh Panthers. He caught 161 passes for 2,677 yards and 34 touchdowns.
He petitioned the NFL to allow him to enter the 2004 NFL Draft, arguing his year at Valley Forge and his two years at Pitt met the requirement that all draftees be three years removed from high school. The NFL agreed, and Larry entered the draft.
The Arizona Cardinals chose Larry Fitzgerald as the third overall pick. He would go on to arguably become the greatest player in Arizona’s history. He played for 17 seasons, leading the league in receptions twice (2005, 2016) and twice in touchdowns (2008, 2009).
When he wrapped up his career without officially retiring, Larry Fitzgerald had 1,432 receptions for 17,492 yards and 121 touchdowns. He was an 11-time Pro Bowl player and the 2016 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. And if all goes well, he’ll soon add “Hall of Famer” to that list.
Not bad for a “habitual procrastinator.”