Sande Charles
DeAndre Hopkins is officially an Arizona Cardinal.
The wide receiver hasn’t played a down for the Red Birds but has already been giving back to the community with his $150,000 donation to the Arizona corona virus relief fund.
Hopkins credits his heart to give back to his family.
“I learned giving back to my community at a really young age, because not a lot of people gave back to my community at the time so it was a hands-on learning experience for me,” Hopkins said in a Zoom call with the media Friday morning.
While Hopkins was packing up to move to Arizona and giving back to his new community, the rest of the football world was still in shock of the trade.
The one person not shocked: DeAndre Hopkins, himself.
“It wasn’t a big surprise to me after the year,” he said. “I was prepared for it. I was working out in LA with Julio Jones when I found out.”
Hopkins has been in the National Football League for seven years and this will be just his second offense that he will play in.
DeAndre Hopkins sees similarities between Kyler Murray and Deshaun Watson: Both mobile quarterbacks with strong arms.
— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) April 17, 2020
In those seven years, he’s missed only two games.
Hopkins credits his durability over the years through his “offseason preparation and workouts” and how he “takes care of his body outside of football.”
It’s something in common he has with new teammate, and fellow wide receiver, Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald has only missed two games in the past 10 years. Fitzgerald is one of, if not the most respected player in the NFL. Not just for his talent, but for who he is off the field as well.
It’s no wonder when Hopkins needed some wise counsel and advice on what to do with his contract, he reached out to “Larry Legend.”
“It”s been one of those relationships where I have always respected his game,” Hopkins said. “I have respected what he has done outside of football probably moreso. Just as a person and who he is and how he carries himself as a business man. Fitz always had the utmost respect from myself. He has reached out to me a couple times before and I reached out to him a couple of years ago when I was, well when I was planning on holding out. I talked to Fitz about when you think about this. Should I do this? He said just go back even if you sit out one or two days, you don’t want to be that guy. Because your play is going to speak for itself. He advised me during some tough times in the NFL as well.”
We all need a little Larry Fitzgerald in our ear giving good advice.
Welcome to the Valley, Mr. Hopkins.
