Arizona Cardinals

Larry Fitzgerald says John McCain was 'epitome of toughness'

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 8:14 p.m. ET

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald said his friendship with Sen. John McCain was a testament to the war hero's ability to reach out to people from all walks of life.

Inside a packed Phoenix church Thursday morning, Fitzgerald spoke warmly of the time he spent over the years with McCain, an avid fan of Arizona's sports teams. Fitzgerald said the two of them could not have been more different on the surface.

Fitzgerald said that while he does everything he can to avoid contact as a football player, McCain was the "epitome of toughness."

He said McCain did not judge others based on skin color, gender or their bank accounts but "the merit of their character and content of their hearts."

The 81-year-old McCain died Saturday after battling brain cancer.