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Fitzgerald uses late mother's voice for inspiration

Larry Fitzgerald has a new commercial out -- it debuted during "Sunday Night Football" -- for the University of Phoenix. If you recall, Fitz recently (and finally) finished his coursework through the school to receive his college degree. It was a promise he made to his mother before she passed away from breast cancer when Fitzgerald was still at the University of Pittsburgh.

This commercial has Fitz talking about that achievement, and how he listens to an old answering machine greeting from his mother to still talk to her. It's an emotional spot.

Fitzgerald said today it wasn't hard for him to share his mom's voice with the public, because her voice -- and his memories -- inspire him all the time.

"I listen to it a lot," Fitzgerald said. "My mom is someone I use constantly for inspiration. A lot of things she went through ... I'm hurting, I'm sore, I'm not feeling great and I don't want to practice or deal with something, I remember my mom. For instance, going through chemotherapy and I'd come upstairs and I see her throwing up in the bathroom and I still see her wipe her mouth and clean herself up and go to work and carry on with her business.

"That's the kind of mentality and discipline she had no matter what the obstacle was and I kind of try to use that as inspiration. Whatever life throws at you, you can either lay down or you can get up and keep fighting."

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