Blogcasting the National Football League, Blogcasting the NFL

Arizona Cardinals two-time Pro Bowl WR Larry Fitzgerald is one of the best pure athletes in the National Football League. He grew up around the game. Larry was a ball boy for the Minnesota Vikings when Randy Moss and Cris Carter were wearing the Purple. He moved on to star at my alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh, where he was one of the most decorated receivers in Big East Conference history. Then as an NFL player himself, few have been able to compare to his combination of size (6′3″ 226), speed and ball skills. Add a dogged desire and determination and you’ve got all the ingredients of a superstar at his sport.

On and off-the-field, Larry Fitzgerald is a class act. As a member of Team EAS, Larry (aka “The Launch”) fuels his performance with Myoplex® RTDs, Myoplex® Deluxe bars, MuscleArmor™ and Betagen®. Larry told me: “My main thing is, right after I work out I drink a Myoplex RTD (Ready-to-Drink) shake. It’s already made. All I have to do is grab one out of the fridge in the cafeteria and drink it down. It replenishes all the nutrients lost from my workout. Myoplex has given me so much success. And a lot of my teammates have had success using it as well. It really helps me recover and gives me maximum performance when I need it.”

I spent some time with Larry at the “EAS Experience” at the Arnold Sports Festival Expo yesterday. Here’s our conversation.

DAVID: Larry, I just got back from the NFL Scouting Combine and I spoke with your head coach, Ken Whisenhunt, and your GM and VP of Football Ops, Rod Graves. Both men expressed their firm commitment to making sure you stay with the Arizona Cardinals. They described you as an integral part of the foundation of that team. But, you’re not signed yet. How is everything progressing there?

LARRY: Everything is progressing very well. And I just want to reiterate what those guys said. I’m totally committed to being an Arizona Cardinal. I’m totally committed to finishing my career there. That’s my love. I love the city. I love the people there. I love the organization. They’ve treated me with the utmost respect since I’ve been there and I want to finish my career there.

DAVID: Is this kind of a stressful time for you right now, not being signed yet and just not having a deal done?

LARRY: Yeah, you know it can be stressful at times because it’s someplace I really want to be but this is the business part of the game. It’s not the prettiest aspect of our business but it’s necessary at times. This is part of it. I’m not the first player to ever have to go through contract negotiations and I for sure won’t be the last. So, I just have to deal with it.

DAVID: The Cards seem like a team that’s very close to getting over the hump and into the playoffs. For whatever reason it happened — injuries or whatever — do you feel it hurt your offense to have the quarterback shuffle going on last season with Kurt Warner and Matt Leinart?

LARRY: I don’t think so. The way I look at it, I think we were very fortunate to have two quarterbacks that could go out there and play. I mean, what other backup quarterback in the league could you say had 27 touchdown passes last season? You can’t name one. We’re fortunate enough to have one (Kurt Warner) and he’s also won a Super Bowl and an MVP award. We also know we have our franchise quarterback in Matt Leinart that was drafted to lead our franchise to championships. And he’s gonna have his opportunity. He’s gonna have the reigns next year, going into next season, but we do have a security blanket in Kurt and we know he can go out and be good for us. No matter how many snaps he gets, he’s a veteran and he knows what he’s doing out there. But, we have a lot of faith in Matt and we know he’s gonna have success.

DAVID: There were a lot of high expectations for the Cards last season.

LARRY: Oh yeah, but every year you step on to the field you have high expectations for yourself. You work your tail off all offseason and you work to try to reach your goals by winning your division and going on and doing that type of thing. We start out in training camp and that’s everyone’s goal. We just focus on that and we believed we had an opportunity to make the playoffs last year, but we know this year we are a playoff team and there’s nothing that’s going to hold us back from that.

DAVID: The way you finished last season against the Rams, Larry — you beat them 48-19 plus, personally, you had 11 catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns. That had to give you some momentum going into next season.

LARRY: You know what, man. All season long we won games — all of our games were very close games. It always seemed to come down to the very end and we’d try to pull it out. I think finally, at the end of the year, we finally realized how to finish teams. We had the Rams down. And we finished ‘em. And that’s what we’ve got to be able to do. That’s what the good teams do. You look at the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys. When they got teams down, they put their foot on their neck and it’s over, you know what I mean? Take their will away from them. That’s what we gotta learn how to do, take teams totally out of the game and finish it.

DAVID: I remember you as a ball boy with the Vikings. I’ve been a Vikings fan since I was five. I used to listen to your dad’s radio show with Coach Green every week when he was in Minnesota. Then you go to my school and just tear it up. And now you’re a Pro Bowl player in the NFL. The years have gone by so fast. But have you felt almost destined for this success your whole life?

LARRY: Well, I wouldn’t say my whole life. My goal since I was a child and my parents’ goal for my brother and I was to be successful, law-abiding citizens. That was my goal, first and foremost. And my parents told me to pick a goal and make sure I set lofty goals for myself. And don’t fall short of them. Go out there and try to achieve everything you set yourself out to do. And that’s kind of what my brother and I have done. My brother graduated college last year in three years. He played football at Marshall for four years. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do in terms of being a student-athlete. I’ve lived some of my dreams but I’m still not where I’d like to be, but that’s the kind of progression you have to make.

DAVID: I know you’re still a young player, but what do you want to accomplish as a professional football player before it’s all said and done?

LARRY: Everyone wants to win a championship and that’s my main goal. When you step into this league, that’s everbody’s goal — to be on a playoff team year-in and year-out and compete for a championship. But on a personal level, I want to be a Hall-of-Famer and be an All-Pro guy every year, somebody that when they say wide receiver, my name comes up in the discussion. It would be the same for a running back or quarterback. I think everyone wants to be recognized as one of the elite players to do it. But first and foremost, you want to win a championship.

DAVID: You’re coming off your second 100-reception season. Clearly, you’ve “arrived”, as they say. At what point in your offseason do you start preparing for the next season?

LARRY: As soon as I got back from the Pro Bowl, I was back on the grind again — working out and getting my body in shape. I’m here at the Arnold Sports Festival this weekend with EAS. I’ve been with Team EAS for four years. They’ve played a huge role in my success in the NFL. The things I put in my body are a direct reflection of how I practice throughout the week and how I play on the field. EAS has given me an opportunity to really fulfill my potential.

I really enjoyed my interview with Larry. We spent a bit more time shooting the breeze about Pitt Panthers basketball and high school football phenom Terrelle Pryor. Then Larry had to meet and greet his fans for EAS. Visit Larry online at larry-fitzgerald.com/jr/ or his Team EAS page.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

EMQB Interview: Larry Fitzgerald

Blogcasting the National Football League, Blogcasting the NFL

By the time Miami Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown walks into training camp this summer, he might think he’s in the wrong place. So much has changed in South Florida, it’s hard to recognize the 1-15 Dolphins. And that’s a good thing. There’s nothing like a nearly winless season to inspire change.

One of the few bright spots for the Dolphins in 2007 was the development of Ronnie Brown. Though his season ended after seven games with a torn ACL (trying to make a tackle after an interception, no less), Ronnie’s string of four consecutive 100-yard games had proven what Miami Dolphins brass strongly suspected when they selected him with the second overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft — that he was the real deal. At six feet and 232 pounds, Ronnie’s built like a brick wall. And his ridiculous 40-time at the ‘05 NFL Scouting Combine wasn’t a fluke. The guy can move with the football in his hands. Factor in his pass catching ability and you’ve got all the makings of a workhorse, every-down back that 29 other teams wish they would’ve traded-up to get.

How good was Ronnie’s 2007 season before he messed up his knee trying to run down New England Patriots CB Randall Gay after an interception? He was leading the entire NFL in yards from scrimmage. But at the time of the injury, he wasn’t sure how serious it was or if or how long it would sideline him. His questions would soon be answered with bad news, though. “It felt a little weird and then once I actually went off the field, the doc told me he thought it was my ACL,” Ronnie explained. “Later on when I was in the shower and then also when I was trying to ice it, it felt weak and unstable. At that point, I kinda thought maybe it was a little more serious than I originally imagined.”

And that’s the worst feeling for an NFL player — the reality of an injury that prevents you from doing your job. Which, for some players, could lead to not having one. But Ronnie had surgery right away and after a period of rest, he’s been improving rapidly. “I’m four months out of surgery and everything seems to be going really well,” Ronnie said. “I’m actually running and doing some things on the field that I’m excited about after being cooped-up for so long. But I’m just excited about the upcoming season and I’m trying to get back and hopefully pick up where I left off last season.”

Where he left off was among the best in the NFL at his position. In six and a half games, Ronnie had piled up 602 yards on 119 carries. Yeah, that’s 5.1 yards per carry. It was sickening to see his promising season end so early, but always the consummate professional, he kept a positive attitude and was ready to deal with the challenge. “At that point, I felt pretty good about my conditioning and health,” Ronnie admitted. “I think EAS supplements have been a big advantage for me. I have a great opportunity working with EAS to hopefully help myself come back faster than I might normally if I wasn’t using the products.”

Ronnie’s regimen includes his favorite Phosphagen Elite™ (a flavored creatine powder that acts as a buffer against the lactic acid that limits exercise power); Athlete’s Defense™ multi-vitamins (designed to support an athlete’s immune system by increasing antioxidant defenses); and Myoplex® shakes for workout recovery. “I think they all play a big part in my being able to come back,” he said.

When he does come back, he’ll see what appears to be a brand new team. The Dolphins have been extremely active so far in free agency, adding OL Justin Smiley (49ers), DT Randy Starks (Titans), LB Reggie Torbor (Giants), WR Ernest Wilford (Jags), TE Sean Ryan (Jets) and former Cowboys DT Jason Ferguson via a trade. Plus they’ve hired a new head coach in Tony Sparano. And NFL living legend Bill Parcells was hired as the Director of Football Ops. “I was excited about Bill Parcells for the simple fact that everyone knows the things he’s done with other programs,” Ronnie said. “As far as him coming into Miami, I think it’s something we needed as an organization and I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to a change and looking forward to us turning things around.”

As far as seeing so many new faces in the locker room, Ronnie admitted to feeling a little uncertain. “It’s a little weird,” he said. “In college, everything pretty much stays the same. I’m working on my fourth year in the NFL now and it’s a little different here, but everyone knows it’s part of the game and changes do happen. It’s one of the things you just have to work with and overcome and hopefully we can add some key guys and everything can come together as an organization and get this headed in the direction it’s supposed to go.”

In this current NFL, a team can completely turn their misfortunes into fortunes. Sometimes in just one season. And Ronnie feels the Dolphins are a prime candidate to do just that despite their previous one-win season. “We have a great opportunity here with the pieces we already have and the people that have been brought into the organization,” he said. “If we can continue to do the things we’ve done to improve over the past few months, I think we’ve got a good chance to be a pretty good team this year.”

This was the second consecutive year I interviewed Ronnie from the “EAS Experience” at the Arnold Sports Festival Expo and the fourth time overall. Visit Ronnie online at RonnieBrown23.com or his Team EAS page.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

EMQB Interview: Ronnie Brown