CANTON, Ohio – Larry Fitzgerald had been in the room with all the Pro Football Hall of Fame busts a few times before.
There have been trips when the Cardinals played in the Hall of Fame Game, there were visits when he made time for the induction ceremonies of Kurt Warner, Dwight Freeney, and Jared Allen. Fitzgerald had not yet been there – until Friday – as a member of the Hall of Fame himself.
He saw mentor Cris Carter’s bust immediately as he entered the darkened room. He took a photo on his phone of Terrell Owens’ bust. He admired the impressive job the Hall sculptor had done with players with longer hair, like Troy Polamalu and former teammate Edgerrin James – knowing that’s what his bust will look like come August.
Fitzgerald took in the faces of the men with whom he has formed relationships. And he understood that now, he has a relationship with the almost 400 men who are honored forever in bronze.
“It hits you when you walk into that room,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s rarified air. It’s like walking into a room at 10,000 feet, you know?”
The big moments for a new Hall of Famer come not on this weekend. Fitzgerald already had his Hall of Fame “door knock” from Randy Moss and was presented to the world as a Hall of Famer at NFL Honors. The actual induction ceremony comes in August, two days after Fitzgerald’s former team plays the Carolina Panthers in this year’s Hall of Fame Game to begin the NFL preseason.
Fitzgerald, who joined fellow Hall classmates Drew Brees, Luke Kuechly, and Roger Craig on this visit (Adam Vinatieri was not able to attend), was here for logistics. The quartet learned about how long their speeches should last, what would be happening induction week, and worked to make final tailoring touches on their gold jackets.
This trip had its own kind of special too, however, like when the group walked in the front door greeted by clapping of Hall employees and fans who were lucky enough to be visiting on this random Friday morning in April when four new Hall of Famers happened to be here.
“Pro Football Hall of Famer number 385, Larry Fitzgerald!” it was announced after his arrival, and Fitzgerald’s wide smile told the tale.
The joy of football immortality remained intense.
