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Luck, Fitzgerald and Mariota star in William and Mary’s 23rd Colonial All-Pro Camp

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WILLIAMSBURG – While making his third visit to William and Mary’s 23rd Colonial All-Pro Football Camp Monday, 32-year-old Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald said he has grown accustomed to fending off “young guys” trying to take his spot on a roster. Naturally, the guest instructor embraced it when some of the youthfully exuberant campers do as campers do: told him they could check him defensively or throw him the perfect pass; in effect, challenging him.

“I love that competition, that enthusiasm,” Fitzgerald said. “I love to see that fire from the kids.”

Fitzgerald also visited the William and Mary camp in 2007 and 2012 and was joined this year by Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, who stopped in Sunday evening, and Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota.

The nine-time NFL Pro Bowler Fitzgerald is coming off a season in which he recorded the most receiving yards (1,215) since his 2011 campaign, adding nine touchdown grabs last season.

Fitzgerald has his own youth football camp in Arizona and has been lauded for his community service by the NFL, previously finishing as a finalist for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in addition to winning the Art Rooney Award for sportsmanship in 2014.

Fitzgerald, a former Vikings ball boy in his native Minnesota, never wants to waste a teaching opportunity, remembering how much he learned just by watching league legends in Minneapolis like Cris Carter, Randy Moss, John Randle, and Randall McDaniel.

“I think I need to be doing the same thing for these kids out here,” Fitzgerald said “… It’s about going out there and competing and learning some of the great qualities that football represents. A lot of the things you learn on the football field are going to follow you the rest of your life.”

One camp station broke out in chants of “Lar-ry, Lar-ry” as he rode a cart onto the Zable Stadium practice field.

Fitzgerald credited Tribe head coach Jimmye Laycock for motivating him to come back for a third time, although Fitzgerald landed a jab in the post-camp press conference. Fitzgerald relayed that one of the campers, in a Q&A session, asked him what it felt like to be called old.

“I’m thinking, ‘Coach Laycock is like 65-years-old,'” Fitzgerald joked. “I bet you he never gets questions like that.'”

Situated nearby, Laycock quipped, “Hey, do you want to come back?” before a chuckling Fitzgerald put his arms around the man the building they were standing in is named for.

Age seemed to be the theme at camp Monday. Mariota, entering his second season, was asked by a camper if he might retire soon despite being a solid decade younger than Fitzgerald.

“It’s fun talking to kids,” said Mariota. “They just really want to get to know you.”

Like Fitzgerald, Mariota has gotten to know some William and Mary football alumni in his short NFL tenure. Fitzgerald most recently played in Arizona with long snapper Mike Leach, who announced his retirement this year after a 16-year career. Mariota plays in Tennessee with former Tribe cornerback B.W. Webb and receiver Tre McBride, who the Titans took in the draft last year with Mariota.

“Tre is awesome,” Mariota said. “I came in with him last season. One of the hardest-working guys I know and hopefully we’ll get him out there on the field soon.”

Mariota, the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner at Oregon, grew up in Hawaii, where the Pro Bowl used to annually visit following the NFL season. He recalled standing in line with his dad for hours to get autographs and once, meeting idol Jerry Rice.

Luck, who also appeared at the All-Pro Colonial camp in 2013, shared a similar sentiment as Fitzgerald and Mariota: The top overall pick in the 2012 draft out of Stanford and NFL passing touchdowns leader in 2014 said the older he gets, the more he understands the platform he has a professional athlete.

Last week, Luck was the face of a series of Change the Play youth camps in Indiana aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles.

Luck, who was born in D.C. and raised in West Virginia and Europe, made note Sunday of being in Redskins territory.

“There’s more Colts fans in Indiana, I’ll say that,” Luck said. “… But the smiles are the same. What’s great, too, is the encouragement from kids – If a kid doesn’t catch a ball – you see a buddy give him a ‘Hey, it’s all right,’ and pick him up off the ground. The kids’ smiles, they’re the same in Indiana, Virginia, around the world.”