Larry Fitzgerald Refuses to Trash Talk, Asks How Corners' Families Are Doing Instead
WSJ –Like most cornerbacks who have to cover Larry Fitzgerald, Minnesota’s Captain Munnerlyn knew he had some serious work to do. He would have to study film on Fitzgerald’s supreme route-running, his ability to make tough catches in traffic and how he uses his 6-foot-3 frame to box out defenders. But that wasn’t all Munnerlyn had to prepare for. “I cannot take the bait,” Munnerlyn said. “I’ve got to yell and get angry, I’ve got to get on him. I can’t let him be so nice that I can’t get into game mode.” It turns out facing Fitzgerald brings with it a unique challenge. Already one of the best receivers in NFL history, Fitzgerald has reinvented himself as a slot receiver at age 32 and is in the midst of what may be his most impressive season. But cornerbacks say one of the biggest concerns before matching up with the Arizona Cardinals star is the slew of pleasantries, cordial remarks, good-natured comments and otherwise amiable chatter that Fitzgerald throws their way during a game. “He’s asking how your family is,” said Washington Redskins cornerback Will Blackmon. “And then he’s trying to bomb you for 70 yards right after.”
Former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Ike Taylor, who took on Fitzgerald in Super Bowl XLIII, said the receiver’s affable behavior is a year-round activity. Taylor, now an analyst for the NFL Network, said Fitzgerald is regarded as “one of the rare guys who has lots of money and everyone loves him. He respects the game.” That respect, Taylor said, includes Fitzgerald’s uncanny knack for remembering nearly every fact about players he’s met. “Larry remembers people’s birthdays, anniversaries, just out of the blue,” Taylor said. “You hear stories, guys are like: ‘Hey, where’d this present come from? Oh, Larry Fitzgerald.’ And they’ve only met him one time!”
Always love stories like this. Like when you hear about Andrew Luck complimenting guys for really nice tackles that knocked him into next week. Just such a bizarro move that you’ve got to respect it. Now it’s confirmed that Larry is out there killing them with kindness. It was pretty common knowledge that Larry was likable but he clearly goes next level even when he’s on the field. It has to be a total mindfuck for defenders. Richard Sherman goes to cover him and has to deal with questions about whether or not his grandma got the flowers Larry sent her for Mother’s Day. It’s even crazier because everybody gives wide receivers a pass for temper tantrums and trash talk. As if being a huge diva was a prerequisite for the job. Meanwhile, Larry is out there running route trees that look like a Zen garden and still putting up HOF numbers. He’s like the last Jedi of wide receivers and corners while most of the rest have turned to the dark side. I can’t imagine being a guy who’s convinced himself that he needs to get whipped into a frenzy and commit stupid penalties to succeed while Larry’s hauling in passes thinking about how he needs to get caught up on his correspondence. Has to be infuriating.
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