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Deadspin | Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart won’t accept highly criticized M job in retirement Dec 3, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats athletic director Mitch Barnhart speaks during the introductory press conference for head football coach Will Stein at Nutter Field House. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images After facing criticism, including from the state’s governor, Kentucky’s retiring athletic director Mitch Barnhart said Thursday that he will not accept a million post with the university. University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto, who has announced the transition in March, and Barnhart issued statements that the latter will not become executive in residence for the UK Sports and Workforce Initiative. The position, which Gov. Andy Beshear called “a new million job that has no defined duties” in a social media post on Tuesday, has also gotten backlash from major boosters of Kentucky athletics. “Mitch Barnhart came to me earlier this week to share his concern that the discussion surrounding his future role leading our sports workforce initiative has become a distraction from the work of our university,” Capilouto said in a statement. “Mitch and his family care deeply about this institution and our state, and they want the focus to return to the work that matters most for our students and the Commonwealth.” Capilouto said that Barnhart, 66, will retire as planned on June 30 but “step away” from the proposed role at the university. He said they will work through terms of his exit as guided by his contract. Barnhart reportedly was to be paid 0,000 annually through August 2030. “The compensation associated with his departure will be supported entirely by private funds — not athletic funds, not funds that would go toward NIL opportunities or university funds — that I will raise,” Capilouto said. “Mitch’s impact on this university has been profound, and I am grateful for his decades of leadership and service.” Barnhart has overseen the Wildcats’ athletic department since 2002 and is the longest-tenured athletic director in the Southeastern Conference. In August 2023, Barnhart signed an extension on his contract through 2028. According to reports, his deal includes a clause allowing him to step down in July 2026 to transition to a non-athletic role such as special assistant to Capilouto. Barnhart announced a change in plans in Thursday’s joint statement. “With our family previously having made the decision to retire in June from the position of Athletics Director, we were very excited about beginning the Workforce Initiative, developing a new program and pouring into the next generation of leaders in sports,” Barnhart said. “Work has already begun on the Initiative but recently it has become apparent that now is not the right time and we would never stand in the way of what we deem best. The world of sports is dynamic and ever-changing. It is my hope that this initiative will continue in the future.” The Wildcats have won six national championships during Barnhart’s tenure: men’s basketball (2012), women’s volleyball (2020) and the rifle team (2011, 2018, 2021 and 2022). The Kentucky football program posted a pair of 10-win seasons (2018, 2021) on his watch, peaking with a No. 7 AP ranking during the 2022 campaign. Barnhart was named the Division I Athletic Director of the Year by the Sports Business Journal in 2019. More recently, the Kentucky football team’s descent led to the firing of head coach Mark Stoops in December after 13 seasons. The winningest football coach in school history, Stoops went 82-80, but his teams finished 4-8 in 2024 and 5-7 in 2025. Kentucky owed Stoops a buyout of about .7 million, or 75% of the salary remaining on his contract. The men’s basketball program, the pride of the Bluegrass State for generations and one of the sport’s blue bloods, saw highly accomplished coach John Calipari — who won a national championship in 2012 — leave in 2024 after 14 seasons. His replacement, Mark Pope, has not lived up to lofty expectations so far in Lexington. “I am losing confidence and growing increasingly concerned with the management and decision-making at the University of Kentucky,” Beshear said in a statement on Tuesday. “My concerns include the creation of a new million job that has no defined duties and the announcement that the new dean of law was the only candidate not recommended by law school faculty.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Kentucky #Mitch #Barnhart #wont #accept #highly #criticized #job #retirement

Deadspin | Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart won’t accept highly criticized $1M job in retirement
Deadspin | Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart won’t accept highly criticized M job in retirement Dec 3, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats athletic director Mitch Barnhart speaks during the introductory press conference for head football coach Will Stein at Nutter Field House. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images After facing criticism, including from the state’s governor, Kentucky’s retiring athletic director Mitch Barnhart said Thursday that he will not accept a million post with the university. University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto, who has announced the transition in March, and Barnhart issued statements that the latter will not become executive in residence for the UK Sports and Workforce Initiative. The position, which Gov. Andy Beshear called “a new million job that has no defined duties” in a social media post on Tuesday, has also gotten backlash from major boosters of Kentucky athletics. “Mitch Barnhart came to me earlier this week to share his concern that the discussion surrounding his future role leading our sports workforce initiative has become a distraction from the work of our university,” Capilouto said in a statement. “Mitch and his family care deeply about this institution and our state, and they want the focus to return to the work that matters most for our students and the Commonwealth.” Capilouto said that Barnhart, 66, will retire as planned on June 30 but “step away” from the proposed role at the university. He said they will work through terms of his exit as guided by his contract. Barnhart reportedly was to be paid 0,000 annually through August 2030. “The compensation associated with his departure will be supported entirely by private funds — not athletic funds, not funds that would go toward NIL opportunities or university funds — that I will raise,” Capilouto said. “Mitch’s impact on this university has been profound, and I am grateful for his decades of leadership and service.” Barnhart has overseen the Wildcats’ athletic department since 2002 and is the longest-tenured athletic director in the Southeastern Conference. In August 2023, Barnhart signed an extension on his contract through 2028. According to reports, his deal includes a clause allowing him to step down in July 2026 to transition to a non-athletic role such as special assistant to Capilouto. Barnhart announced a change in plans in Thursday’s joint statement. “With our family previously having made the decision to retire in June from the position of Athletics Director, we were very excited about beginning the Workforce Initiative, developing a new program and pouring into the next generation of leaders in sports,” Barnhart said. “Work has already begun on the Initiative but recently it has become apparent that now is not the right time and we would never stand in the way of what we deem best. The world of sports is dynamic and ever-changing. It is my hope that this initiative will continue in the future.” The Wildcats have won six national championships during Barnhart’s tenure: men’s basketball (2012), women’s volleyball (2020) and the rifle team (2011, 2018, 2021 and 2022). The Kentucky football program posted a pair of 10-win seasons (2018, 2021) on his watch, peaking with a No. 7 AP ranking during the 2022 campaign. Barnhart was named the Division I Athletic Director of the Year by the Sports Business Journal in 2019. More recently, the Kentucky football team’s descent led to the firing of head coach Mark Stoops in December after 13 seasons. The winningest football coach in school history, Stoops went 82-80, but his teams finished 4-8 in 2024 and 5-7 in 2025. Kentucky owed Stoops a buyout of about .7 million, or 75% of the salary remaining on his contract. The men’s basketball program, the pride of the Bluegrass State for generations and one of the sport’s blue bloods, saw highly accomplished coach John Calipari — who won a national championship in 2012 — leave in 2024 after 14 seasons. His replacement, Mark Pope, has not lived up to lofty expectations so far in Lexington. “I am losing confidence and growing increasingly concerned with the management and decision-making at the University of Kentucky,” Beshear said in a statement on Tuesday. “My concerns include the creation of a new million job that has no defined duties and the announcement that the new dean of law was the only candidate not recommended by law school faculty.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Kentucky #Mitch #Barnhart #wont #accept #highly #criticized #job #retirementDec 3, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats athletic director Mitch Barnhart speaks during the introductory press conference for head football coach Will Stein at Nutter Field House. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

After facing criticism, including from the state’s governor, Kentucky’s retiring athletic director Mitch Barnhart said Thursday that he will not accept a $1 million post with the university.

University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto, who has announced the transition in March, and Barnhart issued statements that the latter will not become executive in residence for the UK Sports and Workforce Initiative. The position, which Gov. Andy Beshear called “a new $1 million job that has no defined duties” in a social media post on Tuesday, has also gotten backlash from major boosters of Kentucky athletics.

“Mitch Barnhart came to me earlier this week to share his concern that the discussion surrounding his future role leading our sports workforce initiative has become a distraction from the work of our university,” Capilouto said in a statement. “Mitch and his family care deeply about this institution and our state, and they want the focus to return to the work that matters most for our students and the Commonwealth.”

Capilouto said that Barnhart, 66, will retire as planned on June 30 but “step away” from the proposed role at the university. He said they will work through terms of his exit as guided by his contract. Barnhart reportedly was to be paid $950,000 annually through August 2030.

“The compensation associated with his departure will be supported entirely by private funds — not athletic funds, not funds that would go toward NIL opportunities or university funds — that I will raise,” Capilouto said. “Mitch’s impact on this university has been profound, and I am grateful for his decades of leadership and service.”

Barnhart has overseen the Wildcats’ athletic department since 2002 and is the longest-tenured athletic director in the Southeastern Conference.

In August 2023, Barnhart signed an extension on his contract through 2028. According to reports, his deal includes a clause allowing him to step down in July 2026 to transition to a non-athletic role such as special assistant to Capilouto.

Barnhart announced a change in plans in Thursday’s joint statement.


“With our family previously having made the decision to retire in June from the position of Athletics Director, we were very excited about beginning the Workforce Initiative, developing a new program and pouring into the next generation of leaders in sports,” Barnhart said. “Work has already begun on the Initiative but recently it has become apparent that now is not the right time and we would never stand in the way of what we deem best. The world of sports is dynamic and ever-changing. It is my hope that this initiative will continue in the future.”

The Wildcats have won six national championships during Barnhart’s tenure: men’s basketball (2012), women’s volleyball (2020) and the rifle team (2011, 2018, 2021 and 2022).

The Kentucky football program posted a pair of 10-win seasons (2018, 2021) on his watch, peaking with a No. 7 AP ranking during the 2022 campaign.

Barnhart was named the Division I Athletic Director of the Year by the Sports Business Journal in 2019.

More recently, the Kentucky football team’s descent led to the firing of head coach Mark Stoops in December after 13 seasons. The winningest football coach in school history, Stoops went 82-80, but his teams finished 4-8 in 2024 and 5-7 in 2025.

Kentucky owed Stoops a buyout of about $37.7 million, or 75% of the salary remaining on his contract.

The men’s basketball program, the pride of the Bluegrass State for generations and one of the sport’s blue bloods, saw highly accomplished coach John Calipari — who won a national championship in 2012 — leave in 2024 after 14 seasons. His replacement, Mark Pope, has not lived up to lofty expectations so far in Lexington.

“I am losing confidence and growing increasingly concerned with the management and decision-making at the University of Kentucky,” Beshear said in a statement on Tuesday. “My concerns include the creation of a new $1 million job that has no defined duties and the announcement that the new dean of law was the only candidate not recommended by law school faculty.”

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Kentucky #Mitch #Barnhart #wont #accept #highly #criticized #job #retirement

Sports news

Dec 3, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats athletic director Mitch Barnhart speaks during the introductory press conference for head football coach Will Stein at Nutter Field House. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

After facing criticism, including from the state’s governor, Kentucky’s retiring athletic director Mitch Barnhart said Thursday that he will not accept a $1 million post with the university.

University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto, who has announced the transition in March, and Barnhart issued statements that the latter will not become executive in residence for the UK Sports and Workforce Initiative. The position, which Gov. Andy Beshear called “a new $1 million job that has no defined duties” in a social media post on Tuesday, has also gotten backlash from major boosters of Kentucky athletics.

“Mitch Barnhart came to me earlier this week to share his concern that the discussion surrounding his future role leading our sports workforce initiative has become a distraction from the work of our university,” Capilouto said in a statement. “Mitch and his family care deeply about this institution and our state, and they want the focus to return to the work that matters most for our students and the Commonwealth.”

Capilouto said that Barnhart, 66, will retire as planned on June 30 but “step away” from the proposed role at the university. He said they will work through terms of his exit as guided by his contract. Barnhart reportedly was to be paid $950,000 annually through August 2030.

“The compensation associated with his departure will be supported entirely by private funds — not athletic funds, not funds that would go toward NIL opportunities or university funds — that I will raise,” Capilouto said. “Mitch’s impact on this university has been profound, and I am grateful for his decades of leadership and service.”

Barnhart has overseen the Wildcats’ athletic department since 2002 and is the longest-tenured athletic director in the Southeastern Conference.

In August 2023, Barnhart signed an extension on his contract through 2028. According to reports, his deal includes a clause allowing him to step down in July 2026 to transition to a non-athletic role such as special assistant to Capilouto.

Barnhart announced a change in plans in Thursday’s joint statement.

“With our family previously having made the decision to retire in June from the position of Athletics Director, we were very excited about beginning the Workforce Initiative, developing a new program and pouring into the next generation of leaders in sports,” Barnhart said. “Work has already begun on the Initiative but recently it has become apparent that now is not the right time and we would never stand in the way of what we deem best. The world of sports is dynamic and ever-changing. It is my hope that this initiative will continue in the future.”

The Wildcats have won six national championships during Barnhart’s tenure: men’s basketball (2012), women’s volleyball (2020) and the rifle team (2011, 2018, 2021 and 2022).

The Kentucky football program posted a pair of 10-win seasons (2018, 2021) on his watch, peaking with a No. 7 AP ranking during the 2022 campaign.

Barnhart was named the Division I Athletic Director of the Year by the Sports Business Journal in 2019.

More recently, the Kentucky football team’s descent led to the firing of head coach Mark Stoops in December after 13 seasons. The winningest football coach in school history, Stoops went 82-80, but his teams finished 4-8 in 2024 and 5-7 in 2025.

Kentucky owed Stoops a buyout of about $37.7 million, or 75% of the salary remaining on his contract.

The men’s basketball program, the pride of the Bluegrass State for generations and one of the sport’s blue bloods, saw highly accomplished coach John Calipari — who won a national championship in 2012 — leave in 2024 after 14 seasons. His replacement, Mark Pope, has not lived up to lofty expectations so far in Lexington.

“I am losing confidence and growing increasingly concerned with the management and decision-making at the University of Kentucky,” Beshear said in a statement on Tuesday. “My concerns include the creation of a new $1 million job that has no defined duties and the announcement that the new dean of law was the only candidate not recommended by law school faculty.”

–Field Level Media

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Deadspin | Larry Fitzgerald thanks all of Arizona: ‘You gave me a home’ Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinee Larry Fitzgerald and his son Devin Fitzgerald unveil his bust during the Class of 2026 enshrinement ceremony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 8, 2026. One day after being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, longtime Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald paid for a full-page ad in the Arizona Republic to thank everyone who made a Minnesota native feel welcome in the state he calls home. After being selected by the Cardinals with the third overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, Fitzgerald spent all 17 years of his NFL career in Arizona. He caught 1,432 passes for 17,492 yards and 121 touchdowns while earning 11 trips to the Pro Bowl. Fitzgerald ranks second to Jerry Rice on the NFL’s all-time lists for receptions and receiving yards. He stands sixth in touchdown catches, trailing Rice, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Chris Carter and Marvin Harrison. Here’s the message Fitzgerald penned for his Arizona Republic ad: People have asked me countless times what it felt like to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The truth is, it was one of the greatest honors of my life. But this really isn’t a Hall of Fame story. It’s a thank-you letter. I arrived in Arizona as a 20-year-old kid who didn’t know a single person. I had no idea this desert would become the place that would shape me into the man I am today. The day I landed was the same day the nation learned Pat Tillman had lost his life. Pat is one of America’s great heroes. I stepped off the plane into a state where its people were carrying real grief, and something inside me grew quiet. I started paying attention. You learn quickly what loyalty looks like when it isn’t just a word. For the next 17 seasons, I quietly measured myself against the standard Pat Tillman set. I’m still not sure I ever lived up to it. Somewhere along the way, Arizona stopped being the place where I lived and became the place I was from. It happened through a thousand ordinary moments until one day, I realized this was simply home. Not because I was a Hall of Famer. Not because I was a wide receiver. Just because the people of this state allowed me to be Larry. You don’t fall in love with a place because of its stadiums. You fall in love on quiet mornings hiking Camelback Mountain. On crisp fall afternoons walking a golf course. During summers in Flagstaff and standing among the red rocks of Sedona that remind you just how small you are in the best possible way. When I stopped playing football, I walked away quietly. I’m known for my Irish goodbyes. Arizona even gave me that. Yet you kept showing up for me anyway, especially through the work of my foundation. Your support was never conditional. You never asked me to be anything other than myself, and somehow that was always enough. Arizona gave a kid from Minneapolis something he didn’t even know he was searching for. Belonging. And that sense of belonging changed me. After a while, you weren’t cheering for a wide receiver anymore, you were cheering for one of your own. So this isn’t really a story about 17 years in a Cardinals uniform or a bronze bust in Canton. It’s the story of a young man who was welcomed by a state that owed him nothing and gave him everything. Thank you, Arizona. Thank you for letting a kid from somewhere else become one of your own. Thank you for embracing not just the player, but the man. You gave me far more than a career. You gave me friendships that will last a lifetime. You gave me purpose beyond football. You gave me a place where my children will always know they belong. Most of all, you gave me a home. With love and gratitude, (signed) Larry Fitzgerald HOF 26 –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Larry #Fitzgerald #Arizona #gave #homePro Football Hall of Fame enshrinee Larry Fitzgerald and his son Devin Fitzgerald unveil his bust during the Class of 2026 enshrinement ceremony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 8, 2026.

One day after being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, longtime Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald paid for a full-page ad in the Arizona Republic to thank everyone who made a Minnesota native feel welcome in the state he calls home.

After being selected by the Cardinals with the third overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, Fitzgerald spent all 17 years of his NFL career in Arizona. He caught 1,432 passes for 17,492 yards and 121 touchdowns while earning 11 trips to the Pro Bowl.

Fitzgerald ranks second to Jerry Rice on the NFL’s all-time lists for receptions and receiving yards. He stands sixth in touchdown catches, trailing Rice, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Chris Carter and Marvin Harrison.

Here’s the message Fitzgerald penned for his Arizona Republic ad:

People have asked me countless times what it felt like to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The truth is, it was one of the greatest honors of my life.

But this really isn’t a Hall of Fame story.

It’s a thank-you letter.

I arrived in Arizona as a 20-year-old kid who didn’t know a single person. I had no idea this desert would become the place that would shape me into the man I am today.

The day I landed was the same day the nation learned Pat Tillman had lost his life. Pat is one of America’s great heroes.

I stepped off the plane into a state where its people were carrying real grief, and something inside me grew quiet. I started paying attention.

You learn quickly what loyalty looks like when it isn’t just a word.

For the next 17 seasons, I quietly measured myself against the standard Pat Tillman set. I’m still not sure I ever lived up to it.

Somewhere along the way, Arizona stopped being the place where I lived and became the place I was from.

It happened through a thousand ordinary moments until one day, I realized this was simply home. Not because I was a Hall of Famer. Not because I was a wide receiver. Just because the people of this state allowed me to be Larry.

You don’t fall in love with a place because of its stadiums. You fall in love on quiet mornings hiking Camelback Mountain.

On crisp fall afternoons walking a golf course. During summers in Flagstaff and standing among the red rocks of Sedona that remind you just how small you are in the best possible way.


When I stopped playing football, I walked away quietly. I’m known for my Irish goodbyes. Arizona even gave me that. Yet you kept showing up for me anyway, especially through the work of my foundation. Your support was never conditional. You never asked me to be anything other than myself, and somehow that was always enough.

Arizona gave a kid from Minneapolis something he didn’t even know he was searching for.

Belonging.

And that sense of belonging changed me.

After a while, you weren’t cheering for a wide receiver anymore, you were cheering for one of your own.

So this isn’t really a story about 17 years in a Cardinals uniform or a bronze bust in Canton.

It’s the story of a young man who was welcomed by a state that owed him nothing and gave him everything.

Thank you, Arizona.

Thank you for letting a kid from somewhere else become one of your own.

Thank you for embracing not just the player, but the man.

You gave me far more than a career. You gave me friendships that will last a lifetime. You gave me purpose beyond football.

You gave me a place where my children will always know they belong.

Most of all, you gave me a home.

With love and gratitude,

(signed)

Larry Fitzgerald

HOF 26

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Larry #Fitzgerald #Arizona #gave #home">Deadspin | Larry Fitzgerald thanks all of Arizona: ‘You gave me a home’ Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinee Larry Fitzgerald and his son Devin Fitzgerald unveil his bust during the Class of 2026 enshrinement ceremony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 8, 2026. One day after being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, longtime Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald paid for a full-page ad in the Arizona Republic to thank everyone who made a Minnesota native feel welcome in the state he calls home. After being selected by the Cardinals with the third overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, Fitzgerald spent all 17 years of his NFL career in Arizona. He caught 1,432 passes for 17,492 yards and 121 touchdowns while earning 11 trips to the Pro Bowl. Fitzgerald ranks second to Jerry Rice on the NFL’s all-time lists for receptions and receiving yards. He stands sixth in touchdown catches, trailing Rice, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Chris Carter and Marvin Harrison. Here’s the message Fitzgerald penned for his Arizona Republic ad: People have asked me countless times what it felt like to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The truth is, it was one of the greatest honors of my life. But this really isn’t a Hall of Fame story. It’s a thank-you letter. I arrived in Arizona as a 20-year-old kid who didn’t know a single person. I had no idea this desert would become the place that would shape me into the man I am today. The day I landed was the same day the nation learned Pat Tillman had lost his life. Pat is one of America’s great heroes. I stepped off the plane into a state where its people were carrying real grief, and something inside me grew quiet. I started paying attention. You learn quickly what loyalty looks like when it isn’t just a word. For the next 17 seasons, I quietly measured myself against the standard Pat Tillman set. I’m still not sure I ever lived up to it. Somewhere along the way, Arizona stopped being the place where I lived and became the place I was from. It happened through a thousand ordinary moments until one day, I realized this was simply home. Not because I was a Hall of Famer. Not because I was a wide receiver. Just because the people of this state allowed me to be Larry. You don’t fall in love with a place because of its stadiums. You fall in love on quiet mornings hiking Camelback Mountain. On crisp fall afternoons walking a golf course. During summers in Flagstaff and standing among the red rocks of Sedona that remind you just how small you are in the best possible way. When I stopped playing football, I walked away quietly. I’m known for my Irish goodbyes. Arizona even gave me that. Yet you kept showing up for me anyway, especially through the work of my foundation. Your support was never conditional. You never asked me to be anything other than myself, and somehow that was always enough. Arizona gave a kid from Minneapolis something he didn’t even know he was searching for. Belonging. And that sense of belonging changed me. After a while, you weren’t cheering for a wide receiver anymore, you were cheering for one of your own. So this isn’t really a story about 17 years in a Cardinals uniform or a bronze bust in Canton. It’s the story of a young man who was welcomed by a state that owed him nothing and gave him everything. Thank you, Arizona. Thank you for letting a kid from somewhere else become one of your own. Thank you for embracing not just the player, but the man. You gave me far more than a career. You gave me friendships that will last a lifetime. You gave me purpose beyond football. You gave me a place where my children will always know they belong. Most of all, you gave me a home. With love and gratitude, (signed) Larry Fitzgerald HOF 26 –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Larry #Fitzgerald #Arizona #gave #home

When I arrived to cover the Minnesota Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 2000, it was clear I was dealing with a star-studded roster.

The team boasted future Pro Football Hall of Famers; wide receivers Cris Carter and Randy Moss and defensive tackle John Randle. Plus, there were a ton of other stars including quarterback Daunte Culpepper, center Matt Birk and running back Robert Smith. The Vikings were loaded with star power.

The talent around the team wasn’t relegated simply to the roster, however.

That summer I first laid my eyes on a 16-year-old high school junior named Larry Fitzgerald Jr. The son of a local media member and close friend of Vikings’ head coach Dennis Green, Little Fitzy was a ball boy during training camp and on game days. It turns out, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. is very likely the most famous former NFL ball boy in history.

On reporting date, fellow reporter Kevin Seifert pointed out Fitzgerald to me and said “that’s a bad man.” Seifert didn’t say that about any of the actual Vikings that day.

Fitzgerald was already known as the best Minnesota high school prospect in years and he was considered one of the best high school players in the country. Seifert told me the buzz was that the kid was, no doubt, headed to the NFL in a half decade or so. Seifert was on the money. I’m not sure the Hall of Fame was mentioned or not.

But this weekend of course, that’s exactly where Little Fitzy is headed. He will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Fitzgerald will be remembered as one of the best and most productive wide receivers in league history after an incredible 17-season career with the Arizona Cardinals.

I have a ton of memories of being around Fitzgerald, but there’s one that stands out among them all.

One day after training camp, a nameless Vikings’ wide receiver camp body was getting extra work on a JUGS machine, catching balls. He was being tutored by Fitzgerald, who was showing this player how to properly approach the incoming ball. This was a child instructing a grown man an NFL team deemed good enough to attend training camp.

Larry Fitzgerald Jr. was special even back then.

In addition to his incredible natural football ability, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. stood out for his politeness and good nature. You could tell he was a good kid from the first time you met him.

There was no I’m-going-to-be-a-star attitude. He was genuine and he worked his tail off with the rest of the ball boys. There was no entitlement. It was as if he was using his time around an NFL camp as an internship for his future. He passed with flying colors.

I’ve always cherished following his career from his days at Pittsburgh in college to his days of dominating the NFL and I’ve enjoyed running into him over the years now and again.

Enjoy Canton, Little Fitzy, you’ve earned it.

#Larry #Fitzgeralds #Hall #Fame #induction #years #making">Larry Fitzgerald’s Hall of Fame induction is 25 years in the making When I arrived to cover the Minnesota Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 2000, it was clear I was dealing with a star-studded roster.The team boasted future Pro Football Hall of Famers; wide receivers Cris Carter and Randy Moss and defensive tackle John Randle. Plus, there were a ton of other stars including quarterback Daunte Culpepper, center Matt Birk and running back Robert Smith. The Vikings were loaded with star power.The talent around the team wasn’t relegated simply to the roster, however.That summer I first laid my eyes on a 16-year-old high school junior named Larry Fitzgerald Jr. The son of a local media member and close friend of Vikings’ head coach Dennis Green, Little Fitzy was a ball boy during training camp and on game days. It turns out, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. is very likely the most famous former NFL ball boy in history.On reporting date, fellow reporter Kevin Seifert pointed out Fitzgerald to me and said “that’s a bad man.” Seifert didn’t say that about any of the actual Vikings that day.Fitzgerald was already known as the best Minnesota high school prospect in years and he was considered one of the best high school players in the country. Seifert told me the buzz was that the kid was, no doubt, headed to the NFL in a half decade or so. Seifert was on the money. I’m not sure the Hall of Fame was mentioned or not.But this weekend of course, that’s exactly where Little Fitzy is headed. He will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.Fitzgerald will be remembered as one of the best and most productive wide receivers in league history after an incredible 17-season career with the Arizona Cardinals.I have a ton of memories of being around Fitzgerald, but there’s one that stands out among them all.One day after training camp, a nameless Vikings’ wide receiver camp body was getting extra work on a JUGS machine, catching balls. He was being tutored by Fitzgerald, who was showing this player how to properly approach the incoming ball. This was a child instructing a grown man an NFL team deemed good enough to attend training camp.Larry Fitzgerald Jr. was special even back then.In addition to his incredible natural football ability, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. stood out for his politeness and good nature. You could tell he was a good kid from the first time you met him.There was no I’m-going-to-be-a-star attitude. He was genuine and he worked his tail off with the rest of the ball boys. There was no entitlement. It was as if he was using his time around an NFL camp as an internship for his future. He passed with flying colors.I’ve always cherished following his career from his days at Pittsburgh in college to his days of dominating the NFL and I’ve enjoyed running into him over the years now and again.Enjoy Canton, Little Fitzy, you’ve earned it. #Larry #Fitzgeralds #Hall #Fame #induction #years #making

Follow Sportstar for extensive coverage of the tenth edition of the TNPL, from live scores and match reports to exclusive analysis and features.

TOSS

Tiruppur Tamizhans won the toss and chose to bowl first.

PLAYING XIs

Nellai Royal Kings: Athish SR(w), D Santhosh Kumar, Ajitesh Guruswamy, U Mukilesh, Rithik Easwaran, Sonu Yadav(c), Muhammed Adnan Khan, Ramalingam Rohit, Emmanuel Cherian, NS Harish, Rocky Bhasker

Tiruppur Tamizhans: Tushar Raheja(w), Amit Sathvik, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Mohamed Ali, Uthirasamy Sasidev, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore(c), M Mathivannan, S Mohan Prasath, R Silambarasan, Esakkimuthu A, T Natarajan

Published on Aug 09, 2026

#TNPL #Live #Allround #batting #display #propels #Nellai #Royal #Kings">TNPL 2026 Live: All-round batting display propels Nellai Royal Kings to 206/8 Follow Sportstar for extensive coverage of the tenth edition of the TNPL, from live scores and match reports to exclusive analysis and features.TOSSTiruppur Tamizhans won the toss and chose to bowl first.PLAYING XIsNellai Royal Kings: Athish SR(w), D Santhosh Kumar, Ajitesh Guruswamy, U Mukilesh, Rithik Easwaran, Sonu Yadav(c), Muhammed Adnan Khan, Ramalingam Rohit, Emmanuel Cherian, NS Harish, Rocky BhaskerTiruppur Tamizhans: Tushar Raheja(w), Amit Sathvik, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Mohamed Ali, Uthirasamy Sasidev, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore(c), M Mathivannan, S Mohan Prasath, R Silambarasan, Esakkimuthu A, T NatarajanPublished on Aug 09, 2026 #TNPL #Live #Allround #batting #display #propels #Nellai #Royal #Kings

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