Larry Fitzgerald on His Way to Becoming a National Celebrity

Die-hard football fans already knew about Larry Fitzgerald. We have since he left Pitt early to pursue his destined-to-be-great NFL career. Fantasy football freaks -- like myself -- learned quite quickly what kind of a talent he was. His 2008 regular season numbers of 96 catches, 1,431 yards, and 12 touchdowns prove what kind of a beast he can be. The thing was, those numbers weren't surprising, by any stretch. That's just how good he is.

Playing for the Cardinals, however, leaves players in obscurity when it comes to the national celebrity scene -- unless you played at USC and drink in hot tubs with scantily clad women.

As a two-week break until the Super Bowl looms, we are about to see an unveiling. Larry Fitzgerald will be praised up and down for the next 13 days, as well he should be. On Super Bowl Sunday, millions of people who only watch one football game per season will be tuning in. If he puts together a big game against the Steelers, he will become an instant national celebrity. I'm talking the People and Us Weekly crowds, not the ESPN ones.

What's not to like about Fitzgerald? He's an absolute freak of nature in terms of his abilities. You're talking about a guy who stands 6'3", yet weighs only 225. So he's wiry, but he's also strong as an ox. He carries multiple defenders past first down markers, breaks tackles, and blocks strong safeties. He also has spectacular hands and hops, which means any throw into traffic is going to come down in his possession.

It's these skills which have enabled Fitzgerald to gain over 1,400 receiving yards three times in only five seasons. He's already amassed 426 career catches, made three Pro Bowls, and this year was named a first team All-Pro. Did you know he's only 25 years old? This guy could end up making Marvin Harrison look like Jerome Pathon, all the while taking a swipe at Jerry Rice.

He's also a class guy. Instead of wondering why he wasn't getting the ball, he was blocking and then celebrating on a late first down by Tim Hightower. He plays the game with an emotional fire, yet he rarely -- if ever -- does anything disrespectful to his opponents. He's very articulate and reserved in post-game pressers. Really, he's the antithesis of Anquan Boldin, who is obviously just a selfish player who is jealous of Fitzgerald.

Put all this together, and a big game on Super Bowl Sunday will sky-rocket his stock nationally. For example, if you took a random sampling of non-football fans and gave them the following list of names, would they recognize Fitzgerald more easily than anyone else?

- David Archuleta
- Britney Spears
- Tom Brady
- LeBron James
- Alex Rodriguez
- Ryan Seacrest
- Katie Holmes (or is it Kate now?)

You get the point. That's what I'm saying about him not being a national celebrity. Yet here he stands, having already broken Jerry Rice's postseason receiving yardage record. In only three postseason games, he's caught 23 passes for 419 yards and five touchdowns.

While the Steelers are a solid favorite, and sport the best defense in the game, they had better be mindful of the force that is Fitzgerald. If they answer the question, "who is going to guard Larry Fitzgerald?" with only one man's name, they will make Fitzgerald into a national celebrity over night. Either way, he'll be getting more national recognition than ever before.

It's about time.