Rams star receiver Davante Adams admired former Arizona Cardinals greats Larry Fitzgerald from afar – and eventually accepted him as a student and role model.
In 17 seasons, Fitzgerald caught 1,432 passes for 17,492 yards, both of which rank second all-time, and 121 touchdowns, which ranks sixth.
In 11-plus seasons, Adams has 1,009 receptions for 12,533 yards and 117 touchdowns, which ranks seventh.
Adams could get closer to tying Fitzgerald for most career touchdowns on Sunday when Rams will play Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
“Any time you can be mentioned in one of the names that comes up during these weeks, scoring touchdowns, being there with some of these guys… it's all elite company and definitely blessed,” Adams said Thursday.
Adams said that early in his career he met Fitzgerald after games and told him how much he respected him. The feeling was apparently mutual.
In 2019, Fitzgerald “took me under his wing” and assigned him a “very expensive” doctor to help him deal with his toe injury.
“So we just connected and I kind of just followed his path, the way he moved as a professional,” Adams said. “I had good examples in my team too. But just having someone like that, who is a football god, a legend in this game, obviously meant a lot to me when someone took me under their wing, and so I definitely took advantage of that.”
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald plays against the Seattle Seahawks in December 2019.
(Abby Parr/Getty Images)
Adams has 52 catches for 689 yards and a league-best 14 touchdowns, four shy of his career high set in 2020 with the Green Bay Packers.
Fitzgerald, who retired after the 2021 season, is a semifinalist for the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
Adams said Fitzgerald's success as a businessman off the field also served as an inspiration.
“There’s a lot of similarities because I feel like I have a lot of depth,” Adams said. “And it's not just the football aspect… So just learning from that, seeing that there was a way to expand and just as a person, you know, outside of football, that was the biggest inspiration for me.”
Kyren Williams nominated for Person of the Year Award
Running back Kyren Williams is the Rams' nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, which is given annually to a player for his work on the field and his “commitment to making a positive impact” on it.
Williams has rushed for 868 yards and 10 touchdowns this season for a Rams team that is 9-3 heading into Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. During the season, he spent weekends performing at community events and took it upon himself to become Big Brother, the team said.
Former Rams lineman Andrew Whitworth received the award following the 2021 season.
Matthew Stafford named NFC Player of the Month
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has been named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for November, the NFL announced.
In five games, Stafford has passed for 1,207 yards and 15 touchdowns with two interceptions.
Stafford has a league-best 32 touchdowns and four interceptions this season.
