Former Arizona Cardinals star Larry Fitzgerald has turned the personal pain of losing his mother to breast cancer into a mission to help families confronting the disease.
Fitzgerald’s mother, Carol, died from breast cancer in 2003. His foundation has since partnered with DraftKings on its annual Pink ’Em campaign, which has raised more than $700,000 for breast cancer awareness, research and patient support since launching in 2019.
Fitzgerald spoke with OutKick about the campaign, the influence of his mother, his friendship with the late Sen. John McCain, the relationships that defined his 17 seasons with the Cardinals and the current NFL season.
Questions and answers have been shortened for brevity and focus.
Q: Your foundation’s partnership with DraftKings through the Pink ’Em campaign has raised more than $700,000 for breast cancer awareness. What does that mean to you personally?
Larry Fitzgerald: Well, it means a lot that you can raise this type of awareness together in a partnership.
And I think that’s what makes partnerships so special, especially when you have one as longstanding as this. Every single year, obviously, we’re raising money for a wonderful cause, but also getting people on our platform to play in our Pink ’Em campaign. And it’s a win-win for everybody. We get to raise awareness, and it’s a beautiful thing.
Q: When did you first become passionate about this cause?
Fitzgerald: In 2003, I lost my mother to breast cancer. And so this has been something that’s near and dear to my heart. I have a couple other family members who’ve battled it. People in my organization at our foundation have done it as well.
And so it’s something that I live with, I think about, I hear about often in terms of treatments and cutting-edge results that are happening from some of the life sciences that are occurring now. And so this is something, I live this every single day.
Q: When you think back on your mother, what do you think she would think of where your career has gone and how you’ve created this foundation and championed this cause?
Fitzgerald: My mom was in the nonprofit space. So I know that it would be something that she would be happy about.
As a child, I was always going to events that she was either a part of, or she was a part of organizations that supported them. So it was always a part of the fabric of who we were as a family. My hope is that she would be proud of the work that we’re continuing to do. And I think she would want me to continue to stay motivated, to not take my foot off the gas and keep my focus on serving.
Q: What’s the biggest thing your mother taught you while you were growing up that you’ve carried throughout your life?
Fitzgerald: Well, just to be thoughtful and compassionate. There’s a lot of people out there that are in need. And sometimes somebody needs just a helping hand, a hello, a thank you, “How are you doing?” Just to be seen and thought about. Those things are really important.
They were important to her. And I always saw that she would always do that. And it’s something that I tried to implement when I was a youngster and still to this day.
Q: How do you think that helped shape you during your football career?
Fitzgerald: It’s something that I think is a part of you no matter what you do.
It doesn’t matter if it’s in my current occupation or my former occupation. Being thoughtful, caring, really enjoying cultivating relationships and developing relationships is something that is important in anything that you do in life. It doesn’t matter if you’re on TV, if you’re a garbage man, if you’re a doctor. Having that human connectivity is important.
Q: One of the friendships you made during your career that really stood out was with the late John McCain.
Fitzgerald: Yeah, I mean, Senator McCain was a wonderful man and influence in my life. He’s one of the people that I credit with helping me mature and seeing the world in a different light.
Traveling to Vietnam and doing a lot of his events with him opened my eyes and my world up to things I never would have thought I’d been exposed to. And so, really, really thankful and appreciative of the relationship that I’ve had with him and so many others.
It doesn’t have to be one of the greatest U.S. senators and patriots that we’ve had in our country. It could be anybody that you meet in an elevator. That’s what I really enjoy about fostering relationships.
Q: How did he help you change your worldview?
Fitzgerald: Well, I mean, he just opened his world to me, showed me different things, gave me tours of the Senate, let me sit in hearings and confirmation hearings and things that I would have never experienced without him allowing me to be a part of it.
And so I think that’s huge. It says a lot about who he is to take somebody in that didn’t necessarily have a view into that type of life.
Q: Did you agree with Senator McCain politically?
Fitzgerald: I don’t know if I would say I agree with everything Senator McCain — I don’t know if I agree with everything that any senator or politician believes in. I kind of have my own political views that I keep to myself. But I can attest to the quality of man that he was and the contributions that he made to our country.
Q: What does it say about the connection you had that, even if you disagreed on some political views, you were still open to letting him help shape your worldview?
Fitzgerald: Well, I think that’s something I talked about when he gave me one of the best honors of my life, to be able to speak at his funeral, is that he embraced the differences.
And it would be really nice to be able to see that thoughtfulness in the way that our country is governed like it was when he was around. And so I’m very thankful that he poured into me and poured into so many of his other constituents.
Q: Nowadays, there are a lot of people who don’t agree politically, including athletes and politicians. What do you think people could learn from your friendship with John McCain?
Fitzgerald: I don’t know if I would say I did not agree with him politically. I did say I didn’t agree with everything politically. I really enjoyed my relationship with him.
It would be nice to be able to see people have civil discourse without heartburn or hard feelings for somebody who doesn’t necessarily see eye to eye with them on something.
So I think that’s something that we can all learn. I still look back at when he was running for president and somebody at one of his political rallies said something that wasn’t true about President Obama. And then he quickly debunked it. And that was a very powerful message, like, “Hey, he’s an opponent, an opponent that I really want to beat, but I’m not going to allow you to say things that are not true.” And I think that was something that I really admired about him.
Q: Do you see yourself cultivating any friendships with politicians nowadays?
Fitzgerald: Yeah, I’m friendly with a lot of people. Friendly with people that are politicians. I’m friendly with people that are doctors.
I’m friendly with people that are lawyers. I’m friendly with most people.
Q: Another thing about you that fascinated a lot of people throughout your career is how loyal you stayed to the Arizona Cardinals. Looking back on it, what grounded you there and kept you in Arizona?
Fitzgerald: Well, I’ve always been one of those people who likes to finish what they started.
They brought me there to do a job, and I wanted to make sure I did the job that I was brought there to do. And a lot of times there’s other opportunities that might be more attractive, but I really like to kind of do the things that I want to do in the places that I’m at. And the grass is not always greener on the other side.
Q: Were you ever tempted to consider an offer from another team?
Fitzgerald: Not seriously.
No, not seriously. No.
Q: What was your best moment with the Cardinals?
Fitzgerald: I mean, to take one moment from 17 years, I would say probably playing in a Super Bowl. But that’s not what I think about the most.
I look back in those times, I think about the relationships with the coaches, support staff, my teammates, management, ownership. Those are the things that I think I take the most joy from. It’s just the wonderful people I was able to work with.
Q: Who are some of the people specifically from the Cardinals whom you remember most fondly?
Fitzgerald: Mark Dalton, Lisa Manning, Steve Ryan. Obviously, Michael Bidwill was — he gave me my job, he drafted me.
Rod Graves, Dennis Green, Bruce Arians, Ken Whisenhunt and so many teammates as well. I mean, I could be here all day naming people who influenced my life in a positive way.
Q: Bruce Arians is famous for having a personality that is a little different from other coaches, at least in terms of what fans and the media could see. In your experience, was he unique compared to the other coaches you played for?
Fitzgerald: I wouldn’t say he was too much different than any other coaches.
He never bit his tongue. He told you what he thought. I think that was really cool, to be able to have somebody that was so transparent. You never had to worry about or wonder what he was thinking. And that made it a lot easier to play for him.
When you know exactly what the expectations are going to be every day. But all the coaches are different, and they’re effective in their own right.
Q: What was your favorite memory with Coach Arians that people may not know about?
Fitzgerald: I would say just seeing his heart. Him and his wife, Chris, were really big on adoption and foster parents. And I had no idea how many thousands of kids are in the foster care system in Arizona.
And the work that he would do through his foundation would do a really good job of pairing foster parents with foster children, trying to give stability to so many of our young people that are in need.
And so, seeing that human, compassionate side of him was something that really resonated with me.
Q: Do you think he could make a coaching comeback today?
Fitzgerald: I think so. If that was something he wanted to do and his wife allowed him to do it, I think he would be really good. I mean, he’s one of the best play-callers I’ve ever been around.
He has a way to really connect with his players. And also, I think he really does a good job with quarterbacks. You look at what he did with Ben Roethlisberger, what he did with Andrew Luck, what he did with Carson Palmer and everywhere that he’s gone. Tom Brady won a championship down there in Tampa. He’s done a hell of a job every single stop he’s made.
Q: The Cardinals have a big game this week against the Giants. Both teams are dealing with veteran backups. As someone who has played with a lot of veteran quarterbacks, sometimes backup quarterbacks, what do you expect from this game and the two teams moving forward as they navigate their quarterback situations?
Fitzgerald: Yeah, the Giants have unfortunately got kind of bit with a rash of injuries.
They lost Brian Burns, their best edge rusher, and then losing Jaxson Dart to a season injury. It’s a tough thing to deal with, but injuries are part of the game. I think the Cardinals are a much healthier, fresher team. They played their last two opponents in the Seahawks and the 49ers, who I think are both playoff teams, really, really hard. And so, I like their chances to be able to get a win this week in the Meadowlands.
Q: Do you stay in touch with any of the players and coaches currently on the Cardinals? Do you ever give them advice or coaching?
Fitzgerald: No, not advice. I’m not one to give unsolicited advice, but still have great relationships with a few of the players. I played with guys like Budda Baker, and so I have a really good relationship with guys on the squad still.
Q: Who are your top five wide receivers in the NFL this year?
Fitzgerald: It’s hard. I haven’t had a chance to watch every single team play. But they got some terrific play in the game right now.
And even guys who you thought their skill set started to diminish, you watch guys like Davante Adams still had an amazing game last week against the Broncos, eight catches, 140 yards receiving.
So, I mean, any given week, somebody can rise to the occasion and be special.
Q: What about quarterbacks?
Fitzgerald: Again, that’s tough, man. Obviously, Josh Allen’s coming off an MVP season and Patrick Mahomes coming off a knee injury and still looking just as good as he’s ever looked.
And the throw that Lamar Jackson made last week to put his team in position against the Cowboys to get that game-winning field goal was great.
You got to throw — let me think who else you put in that conversation. Joe Burrow’s looked really good statistically. He’s been throwing around and making a lot of plays. Bo Nix is playing good ball. So, I mean, there’s a lot of good players out there.
Q: Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart looked very good in Week 1 before going down. What should fans expect from him when he returns from injury?
Fitzgerald: Yeah, I mean, he’s really showed a lot of promise.
I really like the way he leads. I enjoyed watching him at Ole Miss when he was down there. And then every single year, it looks like he’s just taking more steps in the right direction. So it sucks to see him go down the way he did and affect his team the way that that’s going to affect him. But I think he’s got a really, really bright future.
And I think anybody who’s a Giants fan or football fan in general should be excited about it.
Q: As a star wide receiver who played with many different quarterbacks, what kind of impact will Malik Nabers have to make for the Giants to have a good season?
Fitzgerald: Well, Malik is coming off an injury himself, and so it’s really cool to be able to see him take that ownership and leadership position. He’s the best player on that offense now, and I think he can still go out there and win regardless.
Jameis Winston is a veteran guy. He’s been in the league a really long time. And so, will there be a drop-off? Possibly. But I don’t think it will be one that would hurt him in a negative way.
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Q: Jaxson Dart introduced President Donald Trump during the offseason, which received a range of reactions. As someone who had a friendship with a politician, what was your reaction when you saw that?
Fitzgerald: Yeah, I don’t know what his relationship was or is with President Trump.
And I don’t know how that came about. But he made a decision that he felt was best for himself. And that’s what we all do as human beings. We make decisions based on the information that we have. And he did that.
Q: Would you ever consider introducing a president or a politician running for office? You had a friendship with John McCain, but do you think introducing someone at a rally is different?
Fitzgerald: I’ve never had that asked before. So if it ever does happen, I’d have to take it all into consideration before I make my decision.
