>> ERIC: LARRY FITZGERALD SENIOR JOINS US NOW.

WHEN HE'S NOT CHATTING SPORTS WITH US HERE IN STUDIO "B," HE DOES RADIO WORK FOR THE NATIONAL PROGRAMMING NETWORK.

PEOPLE FORGET YOU WERE NAMED TO THE ALL CHICAGOLAND HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY.

>> THAT'S RIGHT, ALL CENTURY.

>> Eric: SO YOU GOT THAT GOING FOR YOU.

[ Laughter ] >> YEAH, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WAS -- IT WAS VERY REWARDING BECAUSE IT WAS A FRUSTRATING TIME BEING IN HIGH SCHOOL IN CHICAGO AND LOSING CHAMPIONSHIPS, BUT THAT WAS REALLY ONE OF THE DAYS THAT I'LL NEVER FORGET.

>> Eric: WHAT WAS IT LOOK HEARING THE ANNOUNCEMENT?

>> UNBELIEVABLE TO KNOW THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU RAISE YOUR KIDS.

AND THEY BECOME -- THEY TAKE ON A LIFE OF THEIR OWN, YOU KNOW?

I REMEMBER LARRY TELLING ME AND MARCUS, THAT THEY WANTED TO PLAY FOOTBALL, AND I TOLD THEM HOW TOUGH THE GAME WAS AND HOW SERIOUS THEY HAD TO BE IF YOU WERE GOING TO BE ABOUT TRYING TO BE A WINNER AND BEING A GOOD TEAMMATE.

AND SO NEXT THING I KNEW, LARRY'S CATCHING BALLS IN BED AND I'M HEARING BALLS, WHEN HE'S ASLEEP, THE BALL HITS THE FLOOR, AND HE WENT ABOUT IT THE RIGHTWAY.

AND I WAS FORTUNATE THAT GOD GAVE ME A BLESSING WITH DENNIS GREEN BECOMING HEAD COACH.

IT CAME AT A TIME IN TRANSITION IN MY CAREER.

AND DENNY ALLOWED ME TO HOST AND PRODUCE HIS RADIO SHOW AND HIS NETWORK, AND THAT OPENED THE DOOR FOR LARRY AND MARCUS AND THEY LITERALLY GOT ON THAT FOOTBALL FIELD AND WHEN YOU DRIVE RANDY MOSS AND CHRIS CARTER AND YOU'VE GOT WARREN MOON AND TONY DUNGY, THERE'S A LOT OF OFFENSIVE MI MINDED KNOWLEDGEABLE MEN WHO KNOW ABOUT FOOTBALL.

>> Eric: DID YOU KNOW EARLY ON THAT HE HAD NFL ABILITY?

>> I DID, BUT I DID NOT KNOW TO THE LEVEL THAT ONE DAY I'M DOING DENNIS GREEN'S RADIO SHOW, AND HE IT ME LIKE A GEORGE FOREMAN PUNCH.

HE SAID LARRY COULD PLAY IN THE NFL NOW.

AND IT WAS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING TO ME.

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, I'M TELLING MYSELF, I CAN'T LET HIM KNOW THAT.

I CAN'T LET ANYBODY KNOW THAT.

I GOT TO KEEP A LID ON THIS SO THAT HE'LL KEEP THE DESIRE AND THE FIRE AND THE DETERMINATION TO KEEP WORKING AND GETTING BETTER.

>> Eric: YOU DIDN'T WANT HIM TO GET THE BIG HEAD?

IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING?

>> NO, I DIDN'T WANT ANY PART OF THAT.

BUT ALSO FOR COACH TO -- THIS GUY RAISED -- I MEAN, HE TOOK CARE OF JERRY RICE, YOU KNOW, DURING THE DAY.

AND THEN OF COURSE DRAFTED RANDY MOSS AND HAD CRIS CARTER, SO HE KNOWS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WIDE RECEIVERS, AND SO I NEVER SECOND GUESSED HIM AND IT WAS JUST AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE.

>> Cathy: I REMEMBER BEING IN YOUR HOUSE WITH YOU AND LARRY JUNIOR AND HE WAS PLAYING HOLY ANGELS, AND CAROL, YOUR WIFE, I MEAN, YOU WERE JUST -- YOU GUYS WERE LIKE -- YOU ARE GOING TO FINISH SCHOOL.

AND YOU'RE GOING TO GET YOUR EDUCATION.

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

AND YOU GUYS REALLY WORKED HARD TO REALLY PUT HIM ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW.

I MEAN, HE'S SUCH A GOOD KID.

AND HE WAS JUST SUCH AN AMAZING ATHLETE.

I WONDER WHAT CAROL WOULD THINK.

>> WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT?

THAT TIME WAS NCREDIBLE FROM THE STANDPOINT THAT SHE'S BATTLING TO STAY ALIVE, CANCER, AND OF COURSE LARRY AND MARCUS FOUND OUT ABOUT HER BEING IN THAT POSITION, WHEN THEY WERE FRESHMEN, AND LARRY'S GRADES TOOK A IVE.

AND SO THAT WOUND UP HAVING TO FIND A WAY -- FIND AN ULTERIOR WAY TO GET TO THE NEXT LEVEL WHERE HE COULD GET HIS ELIGIBILITY IN COLLEGE, AND SO THAT MEANT GOING THE PREP SCHOOL ROUTE.

THAT'S WHAT WE WORKED ON, THAT'S WHAT WE PRAYED ON.

>> Eric: AND HE WAS NEVER AFRAID TO GO OVER THE MIDDLE.

>> NEVER, NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT.

AND HE WAS SUCH A -- NOT ONLY A DOMINANT PLAYER IN HIGH SCHOOL, HE CARED ABOUT HIS TEAMMATES, HE CARED ABOUT THE OPPONENTS THAT THEY LAYED AND HE RESPECTED THEM, AND FOR A PARENT WHO PLAYED THE GAME, I PLAYED A MORE PHYSICAL POSITION, I PLAYED DEFENSIVE TACKLE AND THAT TYPE OF STUFF.

AND IT WAS JUST REWARDING TO SEE THAT HE CARED ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT HE PLAYED AGAINST, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS WINNING MOST OF THE TIME.

>> Cathy: DO YOU KNOW WHO'S GOING TO MAKE THE BIG INDUCTION SPEECH AT ALL FOR HIM?

>> WELL, IT'S A LONG WAY OUT.

THEY STILL GOT TO DO HIS BUST.

THEY GOT TO GET HIS RING SIZED UP AND OF COURSE THEY GOT TO GET HIM HIS YELLOW JACKET.

SO IT WAS GREAT BEING AT THE NFL HONORS HAT NIGHT TO SEE YOUR SON.

INTRODUCED AS THE FIRST HALL OF FAMER, YOU KNOW, TO BE A FIRST BALLOT HALL OF FAMER.

384 HALL OF AMERS AND ONLY ABOUT 25 OF THEM ARE FIRST BALLOT.

AND THE VIKINGS OF COURSE HAVE GOT ALAN PAGE AND JIM MARSHALL, AND PAUL KRAUS, AND WARREN MOON AND JOHN RANDALL AND RANDALL MCDANIEL AND THEY WERE ALL THERE AND IT WAS JUST GREAT TO BE AMONG FAMILY LITERALLY AT THE SUPER BOWL.

>> Eric: WE ARE SO HAPPY FOR YOUR AND THE FAMILY AND FOR LARRY JUNIOR.

CONGRATULATIONS.

>> THANK YOU, GUYS.

COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT "ALMANAC."

[ Laughter ] >> Eric: WE'LL TAKE