Larry Fitzgerald Jr. drafted No. 1 by Arizona Cardinals!
By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 4/29/2004

His first game will be against the Vikings here in August

Chicago, Illinois -- Go West, young man, for it is best! 
On Saturday, April 24, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue at NFL Draft Headquarters, Madison Square Garden in New York City, announced, "With the third pick of the NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals select wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald from the University of Pittsburgh."
Larry Jr. was in Chicago, Illinois, where his parents, Carol and I, first met in 1970 as high school sweethearts at Fenger High. He was at a private family party at the Downtown Chicago Hilton when the phone call came from Rod Graves, vice president of football operations for the Arizona Cardinals.
The call came about 20 minutes before Tagliabue's official announcement. It is really unbelievable when you stop and think about it. And I have been fortunate enough to have had a front-row seat.
Dennis Green, the winningest NFL head coach in the decade of the '90s with the Vikings, hired Larry as a ballboy in grade school. Saturday, he selected Larry with his first pick as head coach with the Cardinals. 
"It's an opportunity of a lifetime to be the third pick overall," said Larry Jr., "something that you've dreamed and aspired to do your entire life. I'm just going to try and come in running and prepare myself the best I can to be outstanding." Fitzgerald is the highest drafted native-born Minnesotan football player ever selected in the NFL Draft. 
For eight years, I hosted and produced Dennis Green's radio show, launching the National Programming Network in 1993. As long-time sports editor of the ***Spokesman-Recorder*** newspaper, I also convinced Green to write a weekly column on the Vikings during the season.

Phoenix, Arizona -- "I've said all along that Larry was the number-one player in the country, not just the number-one wide receiver," Dennis Green announced after the draft selection. "That made it a great situation for us, because we are determined to turn this [Arizona] program around, and turn it around right now. 
"We have some pretty decent players, but I think adding Larry to the mix and giving us an additional wide receiver who knows how to make plays is going to be a big plus for us," Green said.
"First, it's an honor to just be picked in the draft; there are millions of guys who would love to be in this position," said Larry Jr. "I'm just fortunate, and God has definitely blessed me. To be able to come and play for Coach Green is an honor. I'm familiar with his coaching staff, and when you feel comfortable, usually that makes everything else a lot easier, because you prepare easier."
I asked my son how he feels about playing in this offensive system that he knows so well from all the years he spent with the Vikings, when he first worked for coach Green. "It's a big play offense," he said. "There are going to be a lot of big plays down the field for the receivers, but it's based off the running game.
"But with this massive offensive line that we have here with Arizona, we are going to be able to run the ball this year. We've got Freddie Jones at tight end and Anquan Boldin at wide receiver. We're going to be explosive offensively, so we've just got to be able to run the ball."
The Cardinals have been down for a long time. I asked Larry Jr. what kind of impact he thinks he can make. "I'm coming in here hoping and praying that we can change this," he said. "I'm just a piece of the puzzle trying to do my part to help get the program on track."
Larry Jr. was born in the Midwest and played college ball in the East at Pittsburgh. I asked him what's it's going to be like for him playing in Arizona out West. "It's just a new experience having not been out on the West coast too much," he said. "But it's going to be fun, and I'll make the best of it." 
I asked him what he'd like to say to the folks back in Minneapolis who saw him play at Holy Angels in Richfield and then go on and do what he did at the University of Pittsburgh? "Cardinal fans," he replied, "and I know we have some in Minnesota -- we're going to need some support!" 
Larry Jr. will wear the number 11. He wore the number 1 as a record-setting receiver at Pittsburgh, where he set or tied four NCAA records. His achievements there included scoring a touchdown in 18 straight games, scoring 34 touchdowns in two years, tying Randy Moss by scoring a touchdown in 12 straight games in one season, and grabbing 92 passes for 1,692 yards.
Larry Jr.'s first game will be in August when the Cardinals play at the MetroDome against the Vikings in the pre-season. Green has coached Jerry Rice, Cris Carter, Randy Moss and, now, Larry Fitzgerald, all receivers he drafted in the first round.
"All of those guys have potential to be Hall of Fame players," Coach Green said. "They can really play. They have great eye-hand coordination and the ability to get their hands on the ball. They also love the game and love to get out and compete, and love to put on a show. 
"And that's really what you're doing when you're competing, is putting on a show. I think Larry Fitzgerald fits into that exact same category. He really put on a show at the University of Pittsburgh. 
"I have a brother who lives in Pittsburgh," Green said. "I would go in to see him every now and then. And in March, I was in Pittsburgh at Larry's workout. Everybody in the city of Phoenix and Pittsburgh, the fans of the city and on campus, really thank Larry for putting on a show. And that's what he did for two years. 
"I think he's going to put on a show when he comes to the National Football League, which will help us at the Arizona Cardinals win," Green said.


Cutline: (l-r) Rod Graves, Cardinals vice president of football operations; William Bidwill, Cardinals owner; Larry Fitzgerald Jr.; Dennis Green, Cardinals head coach; Larry Fitzgerald Sr.
Photo courtesy of Arizona Cardinals