Larry Fitzgerald Sr., a decorated Minnesota sports journalist and the first reporter to cover their son in a Super Bowl, died Monday, according to a statement from his son, Marcus Fitzgerald. He was 71.“A devoted father, husband, grandfather, and a true pioneer in the Minnesota broadcasting community, he spent his life pouring into the people and the city he loved so much,” said a statement from the Fitzgerald family on X. “He left us peacefully this afternoon, surrounded by his family and the people who loved him most.”Fitzgerald Sr.’s cause of death was not included in the post. His son, Larry Fitzgerald Jr., is set for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 8.
It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our father, Larry Fitzgerald Sr. A devoted father, husband, grandfather, and a true pioneer in the Minnesota broadcasting community, he spent his life pouring into the people and the city he loved so much.
He left us… pic.twitter.com/NozYgLgwYK
— Marcus R. Fitzgerald (@ProfessorMFitz) June 1, 2026A Chicago native and former college football player, Fitzgerald spent more than 40 years covering Minnesota sports, debuting on Black community radio station KMOJ-FM in 1978. He was a constant presence in Twin Cities newspapers and on local sports radio, and the NCAA honored him in 2019 with its Living Legend Legacy Award. Most recently, Fitzgerald wrote columns for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, covering sports and community issues from the early 1980s through 2021.“His relationship with the community was unsurpassed by any other journalist because he was a strong voice. … I think he was kind of like our community sports authority,” said Tracey Williams-Dillard, the Spokesman-Recorder’s CEO and publisher, in an interview with The Athletic. ” … He’ll be greatly missed in the sports world and just in the community in general.”
