Larry Fitzgerald thinks NFL receiver DeAndre Hopkins has more seasons left before retirement
A couple of weeks ago, somewhere near the time NFL wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was released by Arizona, he mentioned to former teammate Larry Fitzgerald about taking up golf like he did.
Hold on. Don’t jump the route.
Hopkins, who starred at Clemson and is a local standout from Daniel High School, isn’t ready to commit to a full-time hobby.
He was let go in a salary cap move by Arizona, but NFL teams are lining up to sign him as a free agent. Hopkins was the league’s wide receiver touchdowns leader in 2017 and made the Pro Bowl for a fifth time in 2020.
“He’s had a fabulous career, obviously,” Fitzgerald said Thursday. “He’s still very productive. I mean, the only reason his numbers have been down in the last two seasons is because he’s missed time with injury. When he’s playing and he’s fully healthy, there’s not many guys on his level of the game.”
BASIC CABLE: Former Clemson punter Bradley Pinion's goals for BMW golf: Meet Larry the Cable Guy
THE GALLERY: Celebrities at BMW Charity PRO AM golf in Upstate South Carolina
They talked as recently as Tuesday, when Hopkins was celebrating his 31st birthday and Fitzgerald was getting ready for the BMW Pro-Am Charity Golf Classic to be played in Greenville and Spartanburg.
“I’m trying to get him into golf,” Fitzgerald said. “He texted me a couple weeks ago and said he wants to start getting out there a little bit. I’m glad he’s finally come around. I’ve been on him for years.”
Make no mistake, though. Golf is not just a hobby for Fitzgerald. It was a serious passion long before he retired from the NFL three years ago. He’s a two-time winner with Kevin Streelman of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which is considered the premier event for celebrity linksters.
Fitzgerald had a hole-in-one while playing with President Barack Obama and quickly shut down the celebration because members of the Secret Service drew their weapons in reaction to the surprise.
After Thursday’s opening round at the Carolina Country Club in Spartanburg, Fitzgerald signed autographs, lamented about a couple of shots that landed in the water, and talked about Hopkins being on an NFL Hall of Fame path.
“He’s on that trajectory,” Fitzgerald said.
In his 10 seasons, Hopkins has averaged more than 1,100 yards and has scored 71 touchdowns, including eight when he played only 10 games in 2021.
With his release, Hopkins is free to sign with any team. The Tennessee Titans were reportedly the first to reach out.
“I just want him to be happy wherever he goes,” Fitzgerald said. “He’s a great person, great friend, great teammate.”
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Larry Fitzgerald: DeAndre Hopkins still on NFL Hall of Fame trajectory
