Larry Fitzgerald has always considered Randy Moss his mentor. Many may not know that Fitz started as a ball boy for the Vikings when he was in high school. He would do everything from odd jobs to practicing routes with Randy. But one day, Fitzgerald dared to ask the star receiver if he could drive Moss’ BMW to the prom. Surprisingly, Randy obliged.
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Fitzgerald worked as a ball boy for the Vikings in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. He would work the sidelines during games, as well as do anything that the receiving personnel needed in his free time. Anything from washing cars to running errands. Fitzgerald was also close with Cris Carter and Warren Moon.
But Fitz seemed to have the strongest connection with Moss. He would practice routes with him, and in return, Randy attended his high school practices, gave him equipment, and even let him play basketball for fun at his house. On top of this, Fitzgerald was always compensated in cash for his efforts.
One day, though, Larry found the courage within himself to ask Randy to lend him his BMW for the prom. He detailed the story in a sit-down with NFL Films.
“It was a ‘99 BMW,” Fitzgerald started. “It was the new,” Moss then cut him off.
“740,” Randy said, getting a laugh out of the audience.
“740 LI,” Fitz continued. “It was the coldest car out. And I had the courage to go ask him, and he kinda looked at me like, ‘Why are you asking me this?’ But in his way, he told me ‘Yes’.”
Surely, Fitzgerald rolled up to the prom with the nicest wheels in the parking lot. Moss’ BMW retailed at the time for $67k. Today, that translates to almost $130 grand.
But Larry also pointed out that Randy did a lot for so many kids just like him throughout his career.
“The kind of stuff this man did behind the scenes for people, with no notoriety, no fanfare, was so inspirational to me. I’m one of the many charity cases that Randy looked out for.”
It was a nice moment of recognition from one generational talent to another. Fitzgerald would eventually go on to accumulate better stats than his mentor, who once trained him. He finished his career with 1,432 receptions compared to Randy’s 982, as well as 17,492 receiving yards (2nd most in NFL history) compared to Moss’ 15,292. And while Randy is the one in the Hall of Fame, Fitzgerald is surely on his way to Canton once he’s eligible this upcoming year.
This is a great story that shows how hard, grunt work that nobody wants to do can sometimes pay off in the long run. Did Fitzgerald want to wash Moss’ car frequently? Probably not. But because he did, he was allowed to take said car to his high school prom. Always keep your head down and keep grinding.
