In honor of former Pitt Panther and Arizona Cardinal icon Larry Fitzgerald, who helped shape Patrick Peterson into the leader he is today, Peterson accepted The Chief Award in his first season as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Every season since 1988, the Steelers have given The Chief Award to the team member who “best exemplifies the spirit of cooperation with the media that he embodied,” according to the official team website.
Peterson, a 13-year NFL veteran who played under Fitzgerald in Arizona for the first ten seasons of his career, acknowledged the receiver for providing a positive example for others to follow when it came to communicating with the media and other people.
“I was very fortunate to be with a future Hall of Famer in Larry Fitzgerald,” Peterson stated. “I got the chance to watch him work every single day, not just in the locker room but also on the field as he dealt with the media. Not just with the press, but with everyone he comes into contact with. It was simply natural for me to kind of follow suit after observing for ten years that he is a guy who truly, truly enjoys being around people.
Fitzgerald won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award in 2016 and continued to be involved in various charitable projects after retiring, demonstrating how far-reaching his legacy has been. During his playing career, he was praised and respected for his leadership qualities, and it’s clear that he made a lasting influence on his teammates and those around him.