Longtime Minnesota sports journalist Larry Fitzgerald Sr. dies
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Minnesota sports journalist Larry Fitzgerald Sr., whose decades-long career included the distinction of being the first reporter to cover their son playing in the Super Bowl, has died.
Fitzgerald’s family said he died Monday afternoon, surrounded by loved ones. He was 71. No cause of death was given.
“My father was a man of strength, love and encouragement. He opened countless doors for me and my brother. He believed in us and pushed us to pursue every opportunity with conviction, he was the rock of our family,” Fitzgerald’s son Larry Jr. posted on social media.
“He taught us that perseverance, hard work, and unwavering commitment are the foundations of a meaningful life and personal success. I will carry his love, words, and wisdom with me always.”
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Larry Fitzgerald Sr. chronicled local and national sports for decades for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder and other outlets. That included the career of Larry Jr., who went on to play for the Arizona Cardinals, and who’ll be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer.
When the Cardinals reached the Super Bowl in 2009, father and son made a pact to not talk in the week leading up to the game.
“We’ve shook hands a couple of times, and but we have not been communicating this week because of the situation that we’re both in,” Fitzgerald Sr. told MPR News ahead of that game. “He’s got a job to do, he’s focused on trying to help his team win the Super Bowl. I’ve got a job to do, in working for the people that I’m working for, and making sure that I’m accountable and not crossing any lines.”
Fitzgerald Sr. was known around the NFL from his decades of coverage of the league, and the Super Bowl. The Minnesota Vikings issued a statement noting that beyond his work as a journalist, he was “a dedicated father and a community leader who cared deeply about the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
“Our hearts are with Larry Jr., Marcus and the entire Fitzgerald family, as well as Larry’s friends and colleagues as they mourn his loss.”
Other local sports teams also shared condolences — including the Minnesota Twins, who shared an image of flowers and a framed photo of Fitzgerald in the Target Field press box on Monday night, with a message reading: “Pioneer. Storyteller. Leader. Legend. RIP Larry Fitzgerald Sr.”
