Arizona
Common bond: The night Larry Fitzgerald's son met Cardinals rookie Marvin Harrison Jr.
GLENDALE, Ariz. — A couple of months ago, Devin Fitzgerald was about to leave Texas Roadhouse when he spotted a familiar face inside the Tempe restaurant. It was Marvin Harrison Jr.
The Arizona Cardinals had selected Harrison with the fourth pick of April’s NFL Draft, injecting immediate excitement into the Valley of the Sun. The Cardinals won only four games last season, but they showed promising signs under first-year coach Jonathan Gannon. A receiver such as Harrison was exactly what they needed.
Devin, 16, wanted to talk with Harrison, but Harrison looked like he was dining with his mother. Devin left the restaurant and waited. He thought of a couple of questions and typed them into his phone. He had much in common with Harrison.
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Like the former Ohio State star, Devin, 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, also was a receiver. Devin had started getting college attention after a strong finish to his sophomore season at Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix. He was listed as a three-star prospect by 247 Sports with scholarship offers from schools including Arizona, Washington State and Pittsburgh. Brophy coach Jason Jewell considered Devin among the program’s most improved players, growing in size and skill.
But Devin and Harrison were also linked in a more complicated way. Devin is following in the footsteps of his father, Larry Fitzgerald, who played 17 seasons with the Cardinals, finishing as one of the game’s great receivers, a future Hall of Famer. Harrison is doing the same, following Marvin Harrison Sr., who played 13 seasons for the Indianapolis Colts, earning Pro Football Hall of Fame induction in 2016.
After 15 minutes, Harrison walked out of the steakhouse. Devin approached and introduced himself, explaining that he was Larry Fitzgerald’s son.
“I was wondering if I could just talk to you for a second?” he said.
“Yeah, for sure,” Harrison said, according to Devin. “I haven’t met your dad yet, but I’m looking forward to it.”
Larry Fitzgerald on his son’s football potential & Arizona HS football 🌵 @LarryFitzgerald
(@FootballBrophy / @BrophyAthletics / @devinfitz118) pic.twitter.com/pn7RjNXzKS
— MaxPreps (@MaxPreps) July 20, 2024
The two sat on a bench outside the restaurant, located a mile from the Cardinals practice facility. Devin expected to spend maybe five minutes with the Cardinals rookie. Instead, they talked for 45.
Devin asked Harrison when Harrison started to feel like his own person, and not just Marvin Harrison’s son. Harrison agreed that both their fathers had made a great impact in football and that establishing an identity inside the game had been difficult. Harrison said it wasn’t until his final college season that he felt completely free from his father’s shadow.
Devin asked Harrison how he dealt with the pressure of being a Hall of Famer’s son. Harrison told him “you just kind of use it in your own way.” He said he used it as fuel, which pleased Devin because that is what he tried to do at Brophy Prep.
By the time the two finished, it was after 9 p.m., and the Texas Roadhouse parking lot was nearly empty. Devin could not believe how easy it had been to talk with Harrison and how generous he had been with his time. He admired Harrison. He wanted to follow a similar path.
He couldn’t wait to tell his dad.
Twenty years ago, Larry Fitzgerald was in Harrison Jr.’s shoes. The Cardinals selected Fitzgerald, a star receiver at Pittsburgh, with the third pick of the 2004 NFL Draft. Like Harrison, he had been a Heisman Trophy finalist, a receiver pegged for stardom.
In a recent phone conversation, Fitzgerald said he thinks Harrison is entering a better situation in Arizona than he did. Harrison had created a local buzz for much of the draft’s buildup. He was the popular choice. The playmaker everyone wanted. Fitzgerald said that wasn’t the case with him.
In 2004, the Cardinals were coming off a four-win season and a coaching change. Dave McGinnis was out and former Vikings coach Dennis Green was in. Green and Fitzgerald had history — Fitzgerald had worked as a ball boy under Green with the Vikings. But the Cardinals had several needs entering the draft, and receiver was not among them.
The previous year, Arizona had drafted Penn State receiver Bryant Johnson in the first round and Florida State receiver Anquan Boldin in the second. Boldin finished with a rookie-record 101 catches and won AP Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. He was a rising star.
Fitzgerald said he felt an unpleasant vibe during his early days with the Cardinals. Like, “Why in the hell do we need another receiver?”
“It was the first time I walked into a scenario where I kind of felt the resentment of teammates,’” Fitzgerald said.
Missing the first day of training camp because of an unresolved contract situation didn’t help. Fitzgerald wondered if teammates looked at him as a prima donna. In addition, some teased him about his relationship with Green, telling him, “Oh, you’re lucky your uncle drafted you,’” which Fitzgerald wasn’t sure how to take. He felt stressed and overwhelmed.
His response was to sharpen his resolve.
“I just kind of went into ‘prove it’ mode,” said Fitzgerald, an approach that started well but then stalled because of a sprained ankle suffered in Arizona’s first preseason game. “(Like), ‘I’m going to show them that I’m worthy of being drafted in this position in everything that I do. I’m going to learn, I’m going to study, I’m going to build relationships, I’m going to do everything in my power to control the narrative.’ But I definitely felt it early on.”
(Note: Nate Poole, a former Cardinals receiver who helped mentor Fitzgerald, said he couldn’t recall any locker-room resentment, but he understands. “Knowing Larry, I totally get it,” Poole said. “He didn’t want to let the team down because he’s a team player. He didn’t want to let Coach Green down because they had known each other for years. He didn’t want to let the state of Arizona down. … I get that. And I can only talk about my room — who knows what the defense was saying — but in the receiver room, it wasn’t that way.”)
Fitzgerald doesn’t expect Harrison to face similar hurdles. He had first heard of Harrison during the receiver’s high school days at St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia. Friends from the area had told him: “Hey, Marvin’s son, he’s electric, man. You got to check him out.” Then, like most everyone else, Fitzgerald followed Harrison at Ohio State, where he became the nation’s top receiver.
Fitzgerald knows Harrison is talented and selfless. He knows quarterback Kyler Murray will not be afraid to “put it in there and give him a shot.” And he knows that one night in May, Harrison went out of his way to be nice to his son.
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“If he would have talked with him for five minutes, that would’ve been a blessing,” Fitzgerald said from Minnesota. “But he sat down on a bench and answered every question that he had, gave him advice. … I look forward to meeting him in person and thanking him for that one day.”
Marvin Harrison Jr. is off to a strong start to training camp. Gannon’s expectations for the rookie have been simple: “Get open, catch the ball, score points.” Veteran lineman Kelvin Beachum said Harrison has been professional, efficient and as “quiet as a church mouse.” He likes silent assassins.
Marvin Harrison Jr coming at you. pic.twitter.com/xGC3CejP6I
— Doug Haller (@DougHaller) July 25, 2024
After Friday’s practice, Harrison, 21, signed autographs and left the field at State Farm Stadium. As he walked to the locker room, he was told how much Larry Fitzgerald had appreciated him talking to his son that evening. Harrison smiled. “That’s awesome,” he said.
To Harrison, this was no big deal. As he talked at Texas Roadhouse, his mom waited in the car. Then it was just two football players and a common bond. Larry Fitzgerald finished with 1,432 career catches, second-best in NFL history. Marvin Harrison Sr. finished with 1,102, good for fifth. Those are intimidating numbers.
“I know what it feels like to be him, to be in his shoes, to be the son of someone so great,” Harrison said. “You want to do the same thing and play football, but you also want to pave your own path, so I can understand the struggle that he may be going through. There’s not many like us really in the world. You see like LeBron James’ son in basketball and all the scrutiny that he gets. I just understand how hard it can be.”
Harrison said he had three jerseys growing up — his father’s, Hines Ward’s and Larry Fitzgerald’s. Fitzgerald is the reason he wore No. 11 as a high school freshman. Since the draft, everyone has asked if he has met the Cardinals’ legend. Harrison said he hopes to soon. Like Fitzgerald’s son learned from him, he wants to learn from Fitzgerald.
“Hopefully, he can give me some wisdom,” Harrison said.
Devin Fitzgerald stretches during spring practice at Brophy Prep Sports Complex in April. (Michael Chow / USA Today)
Since leaving Texas Roadhouse, Devin and Harrison have stayed in touch. Harrison said he wants to check out one of Devin’s games this fall. Anything he can do, any advice he can give, he’s willing to do to help the young Fitzgerald. Because he’s been there.
“He’s a very humble kid,” Harrison said. “He just wanted to take all the information that he could get from me and just learn. He has a great heart, and I can’t wait to see what he does in the future.”
(Top photo of Marvin Harrison Jr. and Devin Fitzgerald: Joe Rondone and Michael Chow / USA Today)
Arizona State has added Michael White to its coaching staff for the upcoming 2026-2027 season. White will join the program as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.
“I am incredibly honored to return to my home state and join this elite program,” White said. “I’m proud to say that I am coming home. I can’t thank Coach Herbie enough for the opportunity to join his incredible staff and help these young athletes grow and develop into the best individuals they can be. There are so many friends and mentors who have left their mark on this program, and I’m excited for the opportunity to leave mine and help take this program to new heights. Go Devils!”
White arrives with the Sun Devils after most recently spending the last three seasons with Alabama as an assistant. The Alabama women finished 11th at the 2026 NCAA Championships while the men were 24th.
Prior to arriving at Alabama, White spent the 2022-2023 season as a volunteer assistant at Wisconsin. He primarily coached the freestyle, breaststroke and distance groups for the Badgers. In addition to coaching the Badgers, he also was an assistant senior coach with the Madison Aquatics Club for the year. He began his coaching career at Juniata College in Pennsylvania as a volunteer assistant from 2019-2021.
White spent his collegiate career at St. Bonaventure in New York. There he was a 7x individual Atlantic-10 champion and swam to three school records as a senior with a 1:47.30 200 IM, 3:52.18 400 IM, and a 1:47.70 200 fly. He also was team captain for two season and helped the team capture the 2014 A-10 team title.
The Scottsdale, Arizona native will return to his home state. He was a 2012 AIA Division I state champion in the 100 breast and 200 IM as a senior for Dobson High School.
White joins the coaching staff led by head coach Herbie Behm, who is already known to be an innovative coach. Behm spoke of White’s innovation as well saying, “Mike is one of the best young coaches in the NCAA. His interview blew me away with the innovative ideas he presented. I can’t wait to start implementing those ideas and continue our growth at ASU.”
Arizona State swept the 2026 Big 12 team titles, and the men went on to finish 4th at 2026 NCAAs while the women were 37th. Rising senior Ilya Kharun captured the NCAA title in the 200 fly with a 1:37.66.
Arizona is ranked 18th in the nation when it comes to racial equality in the classroom, according to WalletHub.
The personal finance website compiled its 2026 list of Best States for Racial Equality in Education by looking at differences between Black and white students when it comes to test scores, college attainment and high school graduation rates.
The rankings are based on a weighted average of six metrics, but did WalletHub not provide a breakdown of each category.
However, statistics from the Center for the Future of Arizona support the idea that Arizona has work to do when it comes to racial equality. African American students in Arizona have an average college attainment rate of 38%, while white students have an average rate of 54%.
That difference is also evident in other education areas, with a gap of 11 percentage points between Black and white high schoolers in graduation rate.
WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo called the high school graduation rate the most “alarming” data set for the Arizona. He said if the study included the state’s large Hispanic population, the results might have been different.
“It would be interesting, if those numbers were included, where the gaps would be. Again, Arizona has a high Hispanic population, as [does] New Mexico, and New Mexico was at number three. So maybe Arizona could take a look at what their neighbors are doing there to kind of bridge those gaps,” he said.
How can Arizona increase racial equality in the classroom?
Lupo said Arizona can boost its ranking and improve racial equality in schools by increasing the representation and funding for public education.
“One thing [to] do is to build more diversity within the school system. More Black administrators and more Black teachers kind of create more of a familiarity for Black students and more mentors. … Increased funding and a more concerted effort to increase diversity among the school systems, I think, would go a long way in bridging that gap,” he said.
WalletHub ranked Wyoming, West Virginia and New Mexico as the best states for racial equality in the classroom, with New Jersey, Connecticut and Wisconsin at the bottom of the list.
Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.
Hundreds of providers suspected to have defrauded Arizona Medicaid program
On May 16, 2023, AHCCCS suspended payment to more than 100 providers who are alleged to have defrauded Arizona’s Medicaid program millions of dollars.
Mark Henle, The Republic
A Phoenix federal judge on June 1 gave a New River couple multi-year prison sentences for deliberately defrauding Arizona’s Medicaid program of $12 million.
Thvoughn Lynden Curry and his wife, A’lexis Daneen Curry, who were both 34 as of Feb. 1, according to the federal government, were first arrested in 2023 in connection with massive fraud that bilked Arizona’s Medicaid program out of an estimated $2.5 billion. The schemes disproportionately targeted vulnerable Native Americans trying to get sober from alcohol and drug dependence.
In some cases, patients were plied with drugs and alcohol while they stayed at so-called sober living homes to keep the scheme going. A class action lawsuit filed in 2024 alleges extreme harm and wrongful deaths from the schemes.
The couple received slightly different sentences connected with the same fraud scheme that involved their Mesa-based “1 Family Clinic, LLC” billing Medicaid for services they never provided.
During the June 1 sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge G. Murray Snow told Thvoughn that because of a prior criminal history, he will be going to prison for 7.3 years, while his wife will be imprisoned for a shorter time of 5.8 years. The couple has six children, including four that they had together, and three of the children are under age five, according to court records and testimony during the sentencing.
Snow told A’lexis Curry that he wished he could do something for her children, “but I don’t know how.” The crime she committed is just “too serious” and deserves a significant sentence of incarceration, he said.
Snow sentenced the Currys individually. He asked each if they had anything they wanted to say to the court, and both said no. Neither showed any emotion when they were sentenced.
The couple was out of custody and in street clothes during the sentencing, and Snow is allowing them to be at home with their family for 21 days before they must self-surrender and start serving their sentences.
The couple asked that they be incarcerated at a facility near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which is in the vicinity of where A’lexis Curry’s mother lives and where their children will be staying.
Prosecutors say that when A’lexis applied to enroll as an Arizona Medicaid provider, there was a warrant out for Thvoughn’s arrest on felony fraud charges. A’lexis told Medicaid that she would be the sole owner of 1 Family Clinic, but investigators say Thvoughn was an owner, too.
Prosecutors said that between approximately Feb. 1, 2021, and March 31, 2023, the Currys routinely billed Arizona’s Medicaid program for services that were not actually provided. Throughout the course of the scheme, the Currys billed an average of more than 12 hours of service per member per day despite being open just eight hours per day on weekdays, five hours on Saturdays, and closed on Sundays, the government said.
Both were convicted Feb. 20 after a four-day bench trial of one count of conspiracy to commit health-care fraud, three counts of health-care fraud, and eight counts of transactional money laundering.
Snow ordered the duo to pay restitution of $12 million to the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, known as AHCCCS, which is the state’s Medicaid program. Medicaid is a government health insurance program primarily for low-income people or those who have disabilities.
The husband and wife must also forfeit several properties to the U.S. government, including the nearly 4,000 square-foot six-bedroom, four-bathroom house where they have been living with their family. The home is valued at nearly $900,000.
Other items that the couple purchased with AHCCCS money included vacations, a 2021 Range Rover, a 2022 Mercedes LT GLE 43 C4 and a 2019 Lamborghini Urus for more than $300,000, prosecutors said. Federal court records indicate the couple filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in 2024.
Both the state of Arizona and the federal government have filed charges against multiple defendants in connection with the AHCCCS fraud, which was first disclosed to the public at a multi-agency press conference in 2023.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona has charged 12 defendants in cases related to the fraud, and at least seven, including the Curry couple, have already been sentenced. Thvoughn Curry received the longest sentence of any federal defendant to date, court records show.
Snow told Thvoughn that what he’d done was “quite dishonest and quite devastating.” It was also deliberate and went on for a long time, he said.
Among the federal defendants whose cases are still pending is Farrukh Jarar Ali, a 41-year-old citizen of Pakistan who was indicted in 2025 for wire fraud and money laundering in connection with an alleged $650 million scheme involving at least 41 substance abuse treatment clinics in Arizona, prosecutors say.
Another federal defendant connected with the Arizona Medicaid schemes is Rita Anagho, a former nurse practitioner who, on May 29, 2025, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health-care fraud and wire fraud. Anagho also faced state charges and, on May 6 in Maricopa County Superior Court, was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison. Anagho’s nursing license was revoked last year.
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office has indicted 140 individuals and entities connected to the widespread fraud and 41 individuals and entities have been convicted, the office reported in May.
Reach health-care reporter Stephanie Innes at stephanie.innes@usatodayco.com or follow her on X: @stephanieinnes or on Bluesky: @stephanieinnes.bsky.social.
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