From the USA Today:Arizona Cardinals all-pro wideout Larry Fitzgerald is always brainstorming new ways to chase greatness.
He outdid himself this offseason.
It wasn't enough for Fitzgerald, 25, to eclipse San Francisco 49ers legend Jerry Rice with his playoffs-record 30 receptions for 546 yards and seven touchdowns in the Cardinals' 2008 Super Bowl run. He decided this offseason to train with and learn from the former receiver, whom he considers the greatest ever.
So Fitzgerald convened a passing camp this summer at the University of Minnesota, inviting other young talented wideouts such as Green Bay Packers star Greg Jennings, the Denver Broncos' Brandon Marshall, the Minnesota Vikings' Sidney Rice and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Michael Clayton. Fitzgerald also invited his longtime mentor, Cris Carter.
Then he reached out to Rice, who agreed to join the camp for a week.
Then he reached out to Rice, who agreed to join the camp for a week.
The only thing more impressive than Fitzgerald's remarkable postseason ascent was his ambitious offseason agenda. There's little concern about a post-Super Bowl letdown for the sixth-year wideout, who reinvented himself as a respected league-wide leader.
"My goal is to be a better player in every way possible and never let complacency set in," Fitzgerald says. "Don't ever lose sight of being the best, most dominant player. After every year, I evaluate the weaknesses in my game — the mental and physical. I called Cris Carter, who has been like an uncle to me.
"But I wanted the same type relationship with Jerry Rice, one of the greatest players to ever play the game and the greatest receiver ever to play. I wanted to see what made him tick."
And Rice showed Fitzgerald.
And Rice showed Fitzgerald.
"Jerry Rice is 46 years old. Yet he did every single thing we did on that field. He worked like he was in training camp," Fitzgerald says.
"His dedication is off the charts. I was thinking, if I had the mental toughness Jerry Rice has at 46 at 25, where (would I) be in this game?"
Vikings Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen joined Fitzgerald on a March USO tour to Iraq and Afghanistan. Allen and Fitzgerald struck up a friendship and traveled to six more countries, an odyssey that included shark diving off the coast of South Africa and a safari.
"Larry's an absolute beast, and he's such a nice guy," Allen says. "He has a ton of respect around the league.
"There's certain players who are driven not by money or fame, but who want Super Bowls. We want to be remembered as some of the best players to play this sport in honor of the people who played before us.
"Larry's one of those guys."
Jennings, who led Green Bay with 80 catches for 1,292 yards and nine touchdowns in 2008, says: "Working at Larry's camp for two weeks really opened my eyes to how to work. As good as he is, there's so much humility in Larry."
