Now in his sixteenth seasons in the NFL, Larry Fitzgerald has proven that he is one of the most consistent and dependable wideouts to ever hit the field. Surprisingly, Fitzgerald did not fit the requirements to play football at the collegiate level as a freshman. However, Fitzgerald eventually made his way to the University of Pittsburgh where we would play two seasons of football in 2002 and 2003. In his final season with the team, Fitzgerald led the Big East in receptions with 92 and 1,672 yards and led the NCAA in touchdowns with 22 in a single season. In just two seasons, Fitzgerald set a school record with 34 touchdown receptions.
After being voted All-American at Pitt, Fitzgerald was drafted 3rd overall in the 2003 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals where he's played his entire NFL career. The 11x Pro Bowler has led the NFL in touchdowns two times (2008, 2009) and receptions twice (2005, 2016). Fitzgerald's initial rookie contract landed him $55.4 million for five years of commitment and his 2011, seven-year extension with the Cardinals made him $113 million. Since 2016, Fitzgerald has renegotiated his contracts for one-year deals worth $11 million. If he continues to stay healthy and productive, he can continue to milk the system until the day he decides to hang his cleat up for good.
Chefs made their way into celebrity land a while ago. But how many celebrities that weren’t trained as professional cooks are actually whizzes in the kitchen? Here are several that come to mind.
Actress Julia Roberts is confident about her cooking skills. “I’m quite a good cook,” she told E! News. “I’m like a closet home ec teacher…I can really cook anything.” Roberts has said she often cooks fish for herself and her kids. And speaking of her three children, “They think that I’m a good cook,” Roberts told People. “They actually told me that I should open a restaurant.” She also relishes cooking for the holidays, particularly shredded Brussel sprouts. Roberts hasn’t published a cookbook, but we did find recipes attributed to her for peach crisp and banana hemp muffins. Or you can make the same summer salad the actress supposedly eats.
Chrissy Teigen started off as a supermodel. Then her love of cooking filtered into her professional life too. At this point, she’s created recipes for a limited Blue Apron release and also just launched her own home and cooking line at Target named “Cravings,” after the two cookbooks she’s released. Teigen describes cooking as “a time of peace” for herself. So maybe peace out to her tuna melt sandwich or the fried chicken wings that are a favorite of her husband, John Legend.
Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, comes from a cooking Italian family. Her father started his own restaurant in New York and also published a cookbook. And apparently, Lady Gaga has inherited the family’s cooking genes. Her Instagram account occasionally features photos of her culinary activities. Sure, sometimes it’s topless cooking. But other times it’s more poignant like in the post she shared about her bringing food to the family of her dear friend who passed away. Want to try a Gaga/Germanotta family favorite? Check out her recipe for whole wheat pasta with a sweet fennel sauce.