Pittsburgh has its eyes on one of the new members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame as he prepares for his induction in Canton this weekend.
Before he was a pro, Larry Fitzgerald was a star for the Pitt Panthers.
Channel 11’s Shelby Cassesse talked with Fitzgerald one-on-one about the moment he learned he’d be immortalized in football history.
Shelby: You walk onto a boat, of all places, and see Randy Moss. What was your initial reaction in that moment, not just getting that news, but getting it from such a close friend?
Larry: It just caught me out of left field, but you know, immediately I think the gravity of it hit me as soon as I saw Randy. I was just grateful, and you know, immediately my mind started, you know, flooding with all the people that, that have been a part of my journey, and helped, you know, that you know that announcement, that reality, you know, come to fruition.
Shelby: I know that we, as people on the outside, make a big deal about being a first ballot Hall of Famer. Does that add to this moment for you? And how do you feel about being considered among that class of player?
Larry: I’m elated to be able to accomplish it on the first ballot, but I don’t necessarily like or love the fact that it’s so much that the emphasis is put on it. When you walk into that room, and you see those busts, you’re not aligned by the time that you got in and what class you went into; like none of that stuff mattered. This is a fraternity of the greatest players and contributors and coaches that have ever done it, and I think the emphasis should be more, so put on that.
Shelby: Obviously, a very long career, very consistent career. To what do you owe that longevity and that consistency in the NFL? It’s so hard to do.
Larry: I was intrinsically motivated to be the very best at what I did, and you know, I just really enjoyed the 17-year journey. Obviously, it wasn’t always rosy; it wasn’t always perfect. They didn’t win a, you know, a ton of games every single year. There was some, some real bleak times, but I think those things taught me a lot of lessons about life and has helped me, you know, assimilate a little bit better after the game as well. I wouldn’t have changed my journey at all. The only time I would say my relationship with the City of Pittsburgh ever was compromised was in 2009. You know, I had people that I thought really cared about me when I played against the Steelers in the Super Bowl; I realized they didn’t really like me as much as I thought they did, you know, but yeah, it was a great journey for 17 years.
Shelby’s conversation with Larry Fitzgerald continues on Thursday. They’ll dig deeper into how his time at Pitt contributed to his lifetime legacy in the game.
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