Cardinals legendary receiver Larry Fitzgerald left off ESPN’s Top 100 athletes since 2000 list

Feb 1, 2009; Tampa, FL, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) runs away from Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison (92) to score a touchdown during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLIII at Raymond James Stadium. The Steelers beat the Cardinals 27-23. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN released a list of the top 100 professional athletes since 2000, with over 70,000 votes cast from ESPN contributors. Athletes on the list with deep ties to Arizona sports history include legendary Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps (No. 1), Suns point guard Steve Nash (No. 51), and Mercury star guard Diana Taurasi (No. 21). However, one Arizona sports legend was left off the list, with Larry Fitzgerald Jr. failing to make the Top 100.

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

Fitzgerald is arguably the greatest player in Arizona Cardinals history, spending all 17 seasons of his career in the desert. His illustrious football career includes 1,432 receptions for 17,492 yards and 121 touchdowns. While he didn’t experience much team success, something out of his control, when he had a chance to shine in the playoffs, he delivered.

His best moment came in the playoffs following the 2008 season. With a 9-7 record and a NFC West division rival, he and Kurt Warner set the NFC playoffs ablaze. Fitzgerald recorded four straight 100-yard games and scored seven times. His 64-yard touchdown in the 4th quarter, taking a short pass from Warner and outrunning the Steelers secondary to the end zone, gave Arizona a 23-20 lead. Had the game unfolded differently, he might have been the game’s MVP and his doubt about his placement on the list.

His best years with the Cardinals came with Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner throwing him the ball. Fitzgerald was named to 11 Pro Bowls, two Second-Team All-Pro honors (2009, 2011), and one First-Team All-Pro (2008). He was also named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-2010s team. With all those accolades, it’s a bit of a shock he wasn’t considered more for the list. Perhaps that speaks more toward the inability of the Cardinals to consistently compete in the playoffs.

A former Cardinal did make the list, with defensive end J.J. Watt clocking in at 58. Watt was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year winner with the Houston Texans before playing the last two years of his career in Arizona. Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss, who Fitzgerald grew up idolizing as a teenager in Minneapolis, ranked at 27.

Historic Olympian Michael Phelps finishes No. 1 in ESPN’s top 100 athletes of the 21st century rankings

Steve Nash ranked No. 51 on ESPN’s list of top-100 professional athletes since 2000