Larry fitzgerald john mccain

  • Arizona said goodbye to Sen. John McCain at a memorial service today at North Phoenix Baptist Church.
  • Fitzgerald recalled McCain's accomplishments in life and devotion to his family, the state of Arizona and service to the people of the US.
  • The two met by chance in , Fitzgerald's third year with the Cardinals, Fitzgerald told CNN on Wednesday.

    • •

    Larry Fitzgerald delivered a moving tribute to John McCain on Thursday, revealing the two had developed a strong friendship despite hailing from widely different backgrounds.

    The Arizona Cardinals wide receiver was one of six speakers at the memorial service for the late Arizona senator, who died of brain cancer on August

    "Many people might wonder what a young African-American kid from Minnesota and a highly decorated Vietnam War hero-turned-United States senator might have in common," Fitzgerald said at the service in Phoenix.

    "Well, I thought of a few. I'm black. He was vit. I'm young. He wasn't so young. He lived with physical limitations brought on by war. I'm a professional athlete. He ran for president. I run out of bounds. He was the epitome of toughness, and I do everything I can to avoid contact. I have flowing locks, and, well, he didn't."

    Approximately 3, gathered for the funeral of the longtime Republican senator and former presidential candidate, who represented

    •

    Larry Fitzgerald delivers moving tribute to John McCain

    Published: Aug 30, at AM

    Professional athletes don't often have the opportunity to stand among current and former high-ranking government officials at public memorial services.

    Arizona Cardinals bred receiver Larry Fitzgerald Jr., however, had the honor Thursday to be among a group of distinguished guests, which included former Vice President Joe Biden and former Arizona attorney general Grant Woods, to deliver a moving tribute to the late Sen. John McCain, who passed away Saturday at

    Fitzgerald and McCain struck up a friendship after meeting in , which marked Fitzgerald's third season with the Cardinals, and the relationship between the two blossomed over the past decade despite a year age difference.

    "Many people might wonder what a young, African-American kid from Minnesota and a highly decorated Vietnam War hero-turned-United States Senator might have in common," Fitzgerald said, via the Cardinals' offic

  • larry fitzgerald john mccain

    • •

    [AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: Text version below transcribed directly from audio]

    “I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else's.”

    Senator McCain spoke these heartfelt words as he accepted the Republican nomination for President in They were the words of an authentic American hero.

    We all know how the story goes: A fiery Navy pilot shot down by the North Vietnamese over a lake near Hanoi. As his plane spun out of control, he bailed out just in time to plunge into the lake below.

    That pilot, a young John McCain, was taken hostage as a prisoner of war where he spent more than five and a half years. [For] almost days,  he would endure countless beatings, torture, solitary confinement, and mental and emotional anguish that none of us will ever have to endure.

    After getting to know Senator McCain, I felt compelled to visit Vietnam. I wanted to see the places where the will of John McCain was tested and forged. I