Larry Centers To Be Alumni Captain vs SEA
By GREG GLADYSIEWSKI
Growing up in Tatum, Texas, a small coal-mining town of just over 400 in the northeast sector of the Lone Star State, Larry Centers learned all about accountability at an early age.
“Everybody knew everybody. You represented yourself everywhere you went,” he recalls. “And you represented not only yourself, but your family.”
Ask any of his teammates, they’ll tell you. Ask any of his coaches, they’ll show you on tape. Ask any of the Cardinal faithful during home games in the Valley, and they’ll break out with the familiar chant of “Lar-ry, Lar-ry.”
Larry Centers epitomized an overall determination, production in clutch situations, and a ‘never-say-die’ attitude that carried him through a 14-year NFL career with the Cardinals (1990-98), Washington Redskins (1999-2000), Buffalo Bills (2001-02) and New England Patriots (2003).
He represented like no other.
For this weekend ‘s home opener Sunday against Seattle, Centers will be the Cardinals’ honorary Alumni Captain against the Seahawks, and will surely hear the familiar serenade of his name as one of the most-beloved players to wear the Cardinal uniform in Arizona. He was truly the heartbeat of the team.
“Lar-ry. Lar-ry.”
Centers came to the NFL with little fanfare as the Cards’ fifth-round pick from Stephen F. Austin University, a I-AA college in Nacogdoches, Texas. Ironically, he enrolled as a wide receiver, but suffered a broken little finger on his left hand and moved to running back. Some might consider that bad luck, but Centers is philosophical about the incident and viewed it as divine intervention.
“As you look back at a lot of the decisions you make in life, I do believe God has a plan for everybody,” he says. “I don’t necessarily believe in predestination, but I guess it was in His plans.”
Those ‘plans’ resulted in his selection as a two-time all-Southland Conference pick as he set a school rushing record.
When he first reported to the Cardinals in 1990, it didn’t take long for Centers to fully comprehend the situation.
“I remember realizing it was the opportunity of a lifetime. And if I just took care of my business, I felt confident I had what it takes to succeed at that level.”
By his fourth pro season in 1993, the 6-foot, 225-pound Centers was fully-integrated into the offense. The following year he was elected offensive captain and led all NFL running backs with 647 receiving yards on 77 catches, good enough to earn notice as a first alternate for the NFC in the Pro Bowl.
After scratching the surface of stardom in 1993 and ’94, Centers took the league by storm in 1995. Not only was he a runaway Pro Bowl selection at fullback as the first running back in NFL history to crack the 100-reception plateau, his 101 catches was a single-season record in Cardinal history. In addition, he led the league in third-down receptions with 33, gaining most of his yardage after the catch with an array of spins, jukes, and hurdles.
“I was fortunate to have a coaching staff that put me in different situations each week, how to use me out of the backfield, and as they gained confidence in me I gained confidence in myself.”
“Lar-ry. Lar-ry.”
Though the team suffered through a 4-12 season, Centers wowed a national television audience in the Christmas night season finale vs. Dallas on ABC-TV’s Monday Night Football with 12 pass receptions for 172 yards. But it was a play in the second quarter that most will remember of the disheartening 37-13 defeat. Centers took a pass from quarterback Dave Krieg in the right flat and turned upfield, only to see Cowboy cornerback and eventual Super Bow XXX Most Valuable Player Larry Brown drawing a bead on him. As Brown closed in for the tackle, Centers leaped nearly six feet in the air to completely clear Brown’s bowed shoulder pads and helmet, and landed on his feet to pick up a few more yards before being pushed out of bounds.
It was vintage Larry Centers—no matter the score, regardless of the won-loss record.
“I realized this is how you gain respect from your teammates, your fans, and your coaching staff,” he says. “It’s coming through when everybody is counting on you. I tried to take that attitude into every play.”
After Centers’ curtain-call 1996 season with 99 receptions produced another trip to the Pro Bowl, the Cardinals suffered through a 4-12 season in 1997 with six of the losses coming by a touchdown or less – including three defeats in overtime. But the Cards’ ability to keep so many of the games close, despite the outcome, only steeled the club for what would be a season to remember in 1998.
With one of the NFL’s youngest teams, Arizona emerged from the shadows in spectacular form. The “Wild Cards” set an NFL record with seven victories by three points or less, won the final three games of the season on walk-off field goals, and with a 9-7 record made their first post-season appearance in 15 years.
“That time was really exciting,” he says. “All of the guys who had been on the team for a few years really wanted to get to the ‘Big Show.’ And we finally got our opportunity. We felt like we could beat anybody they threw in front of us. Our team confidence was at an all-time high.”
And as an encore to capturing the hearts of football fans in the Valley, Centers and his teammates traveled to Texas Stadium for a first-round playoff game against Dallas and returned with a 20-7 upset win over the Cowboys—the Cards’ first postseason victory since 1947 when the Chicago Cardinals defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 28-14 for the NFL championship.
To no surprise, Centers figured prominently in the club’s success. He led NFC running backs with 69 pass receptions, extended his streak of catching passes in consecutive games to 89, and by season’s end became the Cardinals’ career receiving leader with 535 pass receptions.
“Lar-ry. Lar-ry.”
The following year, Centers signed with Washington for two seasons, played for Buffalo in 2001-02, and then finished his pro career in 2003 with New England, which included a 32-29 Patriots win over Carolina in Super Bowl XXXVIII.
“I’m still riding on a high,” he says of his final game as a pro. “It’s indescribable. I couldn’t have written it out any better.”
Not only is Centers the Cards’ all-time receiving leader, entering the 2007 season he’s caught more passes than any running back in NFL history and ranks 12th all-time.
“That’s kind of like my claim to fame. To actually have a record, I’m as proud of that as of anything else I was able to accomplish in my career. And it’s great to punch my name up on the internet and see what I was able to accomplish.”
Today, Centers spends his days in Southlake, Texas managing several real estate investments as he and his wife, Vanessa, shuttle their son Larry and daughters Sydni and Kennedi to a myriad of practices, lessons, and school functions.
But he also has a soft spot for his days in Arizona and the faithful fans whose chants of “Lar-ry, Lar-ry” helped fuel his desire for the game. “Those end zone fans gave me that little bit extra. That really pumped me up. Talk to any player and they’ll tell you they draw energy from the fans.”
As the emotional heart and soul of the team, Centers looks back at his career and has certainly left his mark with the Cardinals and fans in Arizona.
“I want to be remembered as a guy who gave great effort, despite the score, despite what our season record was,” Centers says. “A guy who fought hard to be a professional football player. A guy who have his best effort every week, every game, every play.”
Teammates, coaches, opposing players, hometown fans—all will vouch for Larry Centers. If you listen closely, you’ll hear it.
“Lar-ry. Lar-ry.”
By GREG GLADYSIEWSKI
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Growing up in Tatum, Texas, a small coal-mining town of just over 400 in the northeast sector of the Lone Star State, Larry Centers learned all about accountability at an early age.
“Everybody knew everybody. You represented yourself everywhere you went,” he recalls. “And you represented not only yourself, but your family.”
Ask any of his teammates, they’ll tell you. Ask any of his coaches, they’ll show you on tape. Ask any of the Cardinal faithful during home games in the Valley, and they’ll break out with the familiar chant of “Lar-ry, Lar-ry.”
Larry Centers epitomized an overall determination, production in clutch situations, and a ‘never-say-die’ attitude that carried him through a 14-year NFL career with the Cardinals (1990-98), Washington Redskins (1999-2000), Buffalo Bills (2001-02) and New England Patriots (2003).
He represented like no other.
For this weekend ‘s home opener Sunday against Seattle, Centers will be the Cardinals’ honorary Alumni Captain against the Seahawks, and will surely hear the familiar serenade of his name as one of the most-beloved players to wear the Cardinal uniform in Arizona. He was truly the heartbeat of the team.
“Lar-ry. Lar-ry.”
Centers came to the NFL with little fanfare as the Cards’ fifth-round pick from Stephen F. Austin University, a I-AA college in Nacogdoches, Texas. Ironically, he enrolled as a wide receiver, but suffered a broken little finger on his left hand and moved to running back. Some might consider that bad luck, but Centers is philosophical about the incident and viewed it as divine intervention.
“As you look back at a lot of the decisions you make in life, I do believe God has a plan for everybody,” he says. “I don’t necessarily believe in predestination, but I guess it was in His plans.”
Those ‘plans’ resulted in his selection as a two-time all-Southland Conference pick as he set a school rushing record.
When he first reported to the Cardinals in 1990, it didn’t take long for Centers to fully comprehend the situation.
“I remember realizing it was the opportunity of a lifetime. And if I just took care of my business, I felt confident I had what it takes to succeed at that level.”
By his fourth pro season in 1993, the 6-foot, 225-pound Centers was fully-integrated into the offense. The following year he was elected offensive captain and led all NFL running backs with 647 receiving yards on 77 catches, good enough to earn notice as a first alternate for the NFC in the Pro Bowl.
After scratching the surface of stardom in 1993 and ’94, Centers took the league by storm in 1995. Not only was he a runaway Pro Bowl selection at fullback as the first running back in NFL history to crack the 100-reception plateau, his 101 catches was a single-season record in Cardinal history. In addition, he led the league in third-down receptions with 33, gaining most of his yardage after the catch with an array of spins, jukes, and hurdles.
“I was fortunate to have a coaching staff that put me in different situations each week, how to use me out of the backfield, and as they gained confidence in me I gained confidence in myself.”
“Lar-ry. Lar-ry.”
Though the team suffered through a 4-12 season, Centers wowed a national television audience in the Christmas night season finale vs. Dallas on ABC-TV’s Monday Night Football with 12 pass receptions for 172 yards. But it was a play in the second quarter that most will remember of the disheartening 37-13 defeat. Centers took a pass from quarterback Dave Krieg in the right flat and turned upfield, only to see Cowboy cornerback and eventual Super Bow XXX Most Valuable Player Larry Brown drawing a bead on him. As Brown closed in for the tackle, Centers leaped nearly six feet in the air to completely clear Brown’s bowed shoulder pads and helmet, and landed on his feet to pick up a few more yards before being pushed out of bounds.
It was vintage Larry Centers—no matter the score, regardless of the won-loss record.
“I realized this is how you gain respect from your teammates, your fans, and your coaching staff,” he says. “It’s coming through when everybody is counting on you. I tried to take that attitude into every play.”
After Centers’ curtain-call 1996 season with 99 receptions produced another trip to the Pro Bowl, the Cardinals suffered through a 4-12 season in 1997 with six of the losses coming by a touchdown or less – including three defeats in overtime. But the Cards’ ability to keep so many of the games close, despite the outcome, only steeled the club for what would be a season to remember in 1998.
With one of the NFL’s youngest teams, Arizona emerged from the shadows in spectacular form. The “Wild Cards” set an NFL record with seven victories by three points or less, won the final three games of the season on walk-off field goals, and with a 9-7 record made their first post-season appearance in 15 years.
“That time was really exciting,” he says. “All of the guys who had been on the team for a few years really wanted to get to the ‘Big Show.’ And we finally got our opportunity. We felt like we could beat anybody they threw in front of us. Our team confidence was at an all-time high.”
And as an encore to capturing the hearts of football fans in the Valley, Centers and his teammates traveled to Texas Stadium for a first-round playoff game against Dallas and returned with a 20-7 upset win over the Cowboys—the Cards’ first postseason victory since 1947 when the Chicago Cardinals defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 28-14 for the NFL championship.
To no surprise, Centers figured prominently in the club’s success. He led NFC running backs with 69 pass receptions, extended his streak of catching passes in consecutive games to 89, and by season’s end became the Cardinals’ career receiving leader with 535 pass receptions.
“Lar-ry. Lar-ry.”
The following year, Centers signed with Washington for two seasons, played for Buffalo in 2001-02, and then finished his pro career in 2003 with New England, which included a 32-29 Patriots win over Carolina in Super Bowl XXXVIII.
“I’m still riding on a high,” he says of his final game as a pro. “It’s indescribable. I couldn’t have written it out any better.”
Not only is Centers the Cards’ all-time receiving leader, entering the 2007 season he’s caught more passes than any running back in NFL history and ranks 12th all-time.
“That’s kind of like my claim to fame. To actually have a record, I’m as proud of that as of anything else I was able to accomplish in my career. And it’s great to punch my name up on the internet and see what I was able to accomplish.”
Today, Centers spends his days in Southlake, Texas managing several real estate investments as he and his wife, Vanessa, shuttle their son Larry and daughters Sydni and Kennedi to a myriad of practices, lessons, and school functions.
But he also has a soft spot for his days in Arizona and the faithful fans whose chants of “Lar-ry, Lar-ry” helped fuel his desire for the game. “Those end zone fans gave me that little bit extra. That really pumped me up. Talk to any player and they’ll tell you they draw energy from the fans.”
As the emotional heart and soul of the team, Centers looks back at his career and has certainly left his mark with the Cardinals and fans in Arizona.
“I want to be remembered as a guy who gave great effort, despite the score, despite what our season record was,” Centers says. “A guy who fought hard to be a professional football player. A guy who have his best effort every week, every game, every play.”
Teammates, coaches, opposing players, hometown fans—all will vouch for Larry Centers. If you listen closely, you’ll hear it.
“Lar-ry. Lar-ry.”
