Houston Texans running back David Johnson played his first five seasons in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals, operating in the same offense as 11-time Pro Bowl receiver Larry Fitzgerald.
The 2016 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year had a profound impact on Johnson, and the former 2016 All-Pro shared with the Houston media on a conference call on April 17 four ways Fitzgerald impacted his career both on and off the field.
1. Leading by example
One of the biggest things Johnson learned from Fitzgerald was how to be a leader, which is more than telling teammates what to do.
“I’ve learned just as much off the field as I did on the field, just as far as entrepreneurship, being a leader — not just by speaking, but leading by example, doing everything right on and off the field, so no one can ever have anything negative to say about you,” Johnson said.