Visions of Greatness: Larry Fitzgerald

"You can never let anything distract you from your main objective.  My only goal is to be great. That's all I want. That's all I ever aspire to be. Greatness is something nobody can ever take away from you, no matter what happens. So I put all my energy and focus into my craft."

--Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals NFL wide-receiver.

So, what do you need to do to stay focused?  Here are some questions to ask:

• Where am I headed this week? What would I consider to be a successful week?  

• What is likely to get in the way of my success this week?  

• What do I need to anticipate in order to be successful this week? 

• What do I need to do to eliminate the barriers or challenges to my success this week?

• What does my mindset have to be in order to be successful? 

• What is my game plan for success this week? 

• What do I need to practice or rehearse in order to be successful this week? 

• What will I need to execute flawlessly in order to be successful this week? 

• How will I evaluate or review what I have accomplished for the week? 

For more on mental conditioning, click on The Handbook of Peak Performance.

For mental conditioning tools and resources, click on Peak Performance eCoach and request access.

Kurt Warner: Designs on a Legacy

"I want people to respect me as a guy who works his butt off, that tries to be great every time he does anything, and he wants the players around him to be great and he'll do whatever he can to bring them to the point of greatness. That's definitely what I want my legacy to be."

--Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals' quarterback, talking about his three Super Bowl appearances with two franchises.

Warner has two NFL Most Valuable Player awards and is trying to win a second Super Bowl ring.

Excerpts from the New York Times, February 1, 2009.

Cardinal Accountability: Getting to the Super Bowl

"It feels good. It's my job. I want to make sure I'm accountable. If not, I get that death stare from Kurt."

--Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals' wide-receiver, talking about his record-setting performance in the NFL playoffs.

Fitzgerald has 419 receiving yards in the 2008-2009 postseason breaking the great Jerry Rice's record. Fitzgerald has become the favorite target of veteran quarterback and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Kurt Warner as the Arizona Cardinals have advanced to the Super Bowl despite 50-1 odds.

"Larry's not a flashy guy. he's not going to showboat, not going to taunt you. He gets into the end zone, and he acts like he expected to get there."

--Tim Hightower, Arizona Cardinals' rookie running back.

Fitzgerald caught three touchdown passes in the Cardinals' 32-25 win in the NFC championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cardinals will now play the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl.

"He always said he was going to be the best receiver in the game, and he is. He doesn't play football for the fame. He doesn't play football to have cameras shoved in his face. He plays football to be the best receiver who ever lived and win championships. That's not a show, that's Larry."

--Tyler Palko, former University of Pittsburgh quarterback, who played with Fitzgerald in college.



Excerpts from the New York Times, 1/19/2009 and 1/25/2009.

Winning Notes from the NFC Divisional Playoffs

“You can lean on him all the time. He has great experience playing deep into the playoffs, two Super Bowls and he’s played phenomenal for us. You can’t say enough about Kurt and his leadership. Very vocal and he tells you exactly what its going to take for us to get there and we’re all just following his lead.”

--Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals' wide-receiver, talking about Cardinals' quarterback Kurt Warner.

Fitzgerald had eight catches for 166 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Carolina Panthers in another upset in the NFC divisional playoffs.

Warner, who threw for 220 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Panthers, has been here before. His breakout year came in 1999, when he won the first of two M.V.P. awards and led St. Louis to a Super Bowl victory against Tennessee. Warner did it again in 2001, when he was the M.V.P. and the Rams reached the Super Bowl once more, falling to New England.

Warner was rewarded with a Pro Bowl season in 2008, throwing for 4,583 yards and 30 touchdowns with 14 interceptions as the Cardinals won the N.F.C. West. It was his fourth Pro Bowl selection, but his first since the 2001 season.

Excerpts from New York Times, January 12, 2009.