Class of 2026: Larry Fitzgerald thanks those who lifted him to Pro Football Hall of Fame

Larry Fitzgerald's seemingly magnetic hands weren't the only ones that made him an extraordinary player.

There were so many others.

The gifted wide receiver, who spent his entire 17-year NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals, honored those who guided him on his journey Saturday while being enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame along with his 2026 classmates: quarterback Drew Brees, running back Roger Craig, linebacker Luke Kuechly and kicker Adam Vinatieri.

Whether it was coach Dennis Green, who gave a teenage Fitzgerald his first job as a ball boy with the Minnesota Vikings and later drafted him, fellow legends Cris Carter, Randy Moss, Emmitt Smith and Kurt Warner, who mentored him or his late father, Larry Sr., Fitzgerald knows that his path to football immortality was paved by others.

“All of my life, I’ve been lucky to be surrounded by people and great institutions who nurtured me and inspired me to pursue excellence,” Fitzgerald said.

He grabbed it.

Selected with the third overall pick in the 2004 draft, Fitzgerald's size and speed separated him from other receivers and made him a nightmare to cover. He finished his career as the Cardinals’ franchise record-holder in receptions (1,432), yards receiving (17,492) and touchdowns (121).

Built like a linebacker at 6-foot-3 and 218 pounds, Fitzgerald was named to 11 Pro Bowls (matching his jersey number) and was an All-Pro once. He finished with 17,492 yards receiving, trailing only Jerry Rice (22,895) on the league's career list. He had eight seasons of at least 90 catches and had more than 50 catches 17 times.

Perhaps Fitzgerald's high point came in the 2008 postseason, when he had 30 catches for 546 yards and seven touchdowns in four games while helping the Cardinals reach the Super Bowl.

The nickname “Larry Legend” fit him like a glove.

After retiring following the 2020 season without any fanfare, there was no doubt Fitzgerald would be forever honored in football's birthplace. And to underscore his greatness, Fitzgerald was elected on his first ballot. He's the eighth receiver to earn that distinction and just the second Cardinals player, joining safety Larry Wilson (1978).

The lead-up to Fitzgerald's enshrinement this summer was tinged with sadness. His father, a longtime sportswriter, had been tabbed to present his son for enshrinement, but died in June. His replacement was his grandson, Devin, one of Fitzgerald's three sons.

Born and raised in Minneapolis, Fitzgerald was a skinny 14-year-old when Green, who coached the Vikings from 1992-2001, “saw something in me.” Seven years later, Green was beginning his first season with the Cardinals and made his initial draft pick Fitzgerald.

The skinny kid with good hands blossomed into the face of a franchise.

“The Cardinals had bigger personnel needs, but Coach Green trusted what I had to offer and picked me anyway,” Fitzgerald said fondly of Green, who died in 2016. “Dennis Green always put me in position to win and unequivocally changed the course of my life.”

During his stint as a ball boy, Fitzgerald learned what it took to play at the highest level by watching Vikings Hall of Famers like Carter, John Randle, Chris Doleman, Randall McDaniel and Warren Moon. He admired how they pushed themselves and each other in perfecting their crafts.

Fitzgerald singled out Carter, one of the 120 Hall of Famers on stage.

“Your support was endless,” he said, referring to Carter as Uncle Cris. “I hope today feels like a small return on your investment. And now that we got that part over with, I hope we can finally agree that my hands have always been better than yours.”

They were role models for Fitzgerald, who seized the chance to learn and grow from them.

“I was being acknowledged by the greats, and if I wanted to ask a question — at the right time — about a play, they would always answer,” he said. “Without that experience, I’m not here.”

Fitzgerald recalled his arrival as a 20-year-old in Arizona and finding another mentor in Smith, who was winding down his brilliant career with the Cardinals. Fitzgerald forever will be grateful that the NFL's all-time leading rusher made time for him.

“I could talk to him, confide in him, rely on him,” Fitzgerald said. “The one thing I couldn’t do was beat him when we used to wrestle in the locker room. And he was old, too, I don’t know how I used to lose to him!”

Warner also had an immense impact on Fitzgerald's early years as a pro. The veteran quarterback made a lasting impression on the young receiver, who followed Warner's example of service by giving back to the Phoenix community.

Fitzgerald said he never will forget Warner's tutelage.

“Kurt, you demanded that I elevate my preparation, consistency and accountability,” he said. “You dragged me to the winner’s circle. The timing couldn’t have been better for an impressionable kid, and I continue to aspire to be the kind of man you are.”

Fitzgerald's most poignant remarks centered around family.

He honored his late parents by speaking to directly to them, crediting their love with giving him a foundation for life. He then turned toward his sons, Devin, Appolo and Milos, with a message he hopes they carry forward.

“Don’t just pursue excellence for yourself,” Fitzgerald said. "Help other people pursue it, too. That’s the part of this story that matters the most. Not the likes. Not the follows. Not the fame. But the people you travel with. The values you uphold. In the end, it’s not just about the excellence.

“It’s about the people who help get you there.”