CANTON, Ohio — Minneapolis and its most popular team played prominent roles on Saturday as Larry Fitzgerald Jr. grabbed pro football’s brightest spotlight at the Pro Football Hall of Fame and swung it onto his family, his hometown and his first job as ballboy for Dennis Green’s Minnesota Vikings.

“Martin Luther King Park in Minneapolis is where it all started,” Fitzgerald said after his oldest son, Devin, a receiver at Notre Dame, presented him in a pre-recorded video and helped him unveil his bronze bust on stage as a member of the Hall’s Class of 2026.

“My first touchdown. My first home run. My first dunk. My first fight. My first kiss. Goodness, I even almost drowned in that pool.”

Wearing his new gold jacket with matching gold vest, a black tie and white shirt, Fitzgerald spoke for nearly 14 minutes as leadoff speaker in the five-man class. Playing 17 NFL seasons, 11 of them as a Pro Bowler, Fitzgerald ranks second in career catches (1,432) and yards (17,492) and sixth in career touchdown catches (121).

Standing on the game’s grandest stage as hundreds of fans wearing his No. 11 Arizona Cardinals jersey chanted his name, Fitzgerald was humble, funny, grateful and composed even as his younger brother, Marcus, sobbed when the speech turned to their dad, Larry Fitzgerald Sr., the longtime Twin Cities sportswriter who died of prostate cancer on June 1 before being able to serve as his son’s presenter.

“My dad, who I lost recently, is also here in spirit,” Fitzgerald said after mentioning his mom, Carol, who died of breast cancer in 2003, a year before Dennis Green used his first draft pick as Cardinals coach — No. 3 overall — on the former Vikings ballboy.

“Dad was the solid foundation of our family, and the standard I measure myself against. Dad, looking back, I know there were times you must have felt like you were carrying the weight of the world. But you always showed up, and your love, your willingness to sacrifice, and your consistency have been the blueprint I use to raise your grandsons.”

More than 30,000 men have played in the NFL as it embarks on its 107th season. Fitzgerald is one of only 387 Hall of Famers. As a player, his former quarterback, Kurt Warner, said, “He had no weaknesses.” As a man, the NFL honored Fitzgerald as its 2016 Walter Payton Man of the Year. As a champion-caliber player, Fitzgerald brought one of the losingest sports franchises ever to within 2 1/2 minutes of winning a Super Bowl when he caught that memorable slant pass from Warner against the Steelers and was …

“Gone to the house!” Devin said in his presentation. “Even the brightest lights weren’t too bright for my dad.”

Long before that 2008 postseason, an epic run that included 30 catches for 546 yards and seven touchdowns, Fitzgerald idolized a “winner” who never played a down in her life.

“Mom, you were the first champion I knew, and the greatest one of all,” Fitzgerald said. “You lost your fight with breast cancer, but in the years that you lived, you taught me how to love. You showed me how to fight with integrity. You set the standard for our family and our community. And you’re always my example of a life well lived.”

Many Vikings were among the nearly 120 former Hall of Famers who returned to Canton and were sitting on stage Saturday. Among those were receivers Randy Moss and Cris Carter, the Hall of Famer Fitzgerald chose to place the gold jacket on him during Friday night’s enshrinee dinner.

“Let me thank Cris Carter, who I idolized as a kid growing up in Minnesota,” Fitzgerald said. “Cris, you took me into your family and your home, and you gave me an education that shaped every part of who I am. Your support was endless. I hope today feels like a small return on your investment.”

Fitzgerald then paused and turned his head away for effect before looking back at Carter.

“And Uncle Cris,” he added. “Now that we got that part over with, I hope we can finally agree that my hands have always been better than yours.”

Fitzgerald has one of the coolest stats ever: more tackles (41) than dropped passes while being targeted 2,335 times.

He also singled out Moss, who was looking good with bile duct cancer in remission.

“People ask me what I learned from Randy as a player, and my answer is ... nothing!” Fitzgerald said before pausing again for effect. “Because there was nothing I could do like him; he’s ‘The Freak’ for a reason.

“But what I learned from Randy as a person is generosity. He gave me his clothes. And his size 14 shoes. He came to my high school games. He let me use his car. And he even surprised me with the knock from the Hall of Fame. Randy, being acknowledged by someone who’s bigger than life meant so much to me, and I’m so happy you’re healthy!”

The theme of Fitzgerald’s speech was he couldn’t have done all of this on his own.

“I can’t mention every single person who nurtured me during my football journey because I’d be up here all day, just like my guy Ray Lewis was, eight years ago,” Fitzgerald said as the crowd laughed at the mention of the Ravens linebacker’s famously long speech.

Fitzgerald thanked his high school coach at Holy Angels, Mike Pendino, who was in attendance, and the local community.

He thanked Green for giving him his first job, a job that paid nothing in terms of money and everything in terms of football connections.

“When Coach Green hired me as a ballboy, I grew up watching legends being built right in front of me,” Fitzgerald said. “Hall of Fame players like John Randle, Chris Doleman, Randall McDaniel, and Warren Moon, who taught me what it means to demand more of yourself than anyone else ever would.

“Plus, they saw me. At 8 in the morning, before training camp practice, it was: ‘What’s up, Fitzy!’ ‘Hey Little Fitz, can you grab me two wrist bands real quick.’ I was being acknowledged by the greats, and if I wanted to ask a question — at the right time — about a play, they would always answer.”

One of those players, Matthew Hatchette, became “one of my closest friends to this day,” Fitzgerald said.

“Hatch, thank you for taking the time, in the midst of your NFL career, to stay after practice and help me sharpen my skills. I’m grateful for the role you play in my life, and my kids’ lives.”

Fitzgerald used the end of his speech to pay it forward for his sons — Devin, Apollo and Milos.

“If you [three] were paying attention, you heard some fundamental themes in this speech,” Fitzgerald said. “One, it’s not hard to find people who will tell you what you want to hear. Make a conscious effort to surround yourself with people who will tell you what you ‘need’ to hear. The hard things. The uncomfortable things. Believe me, the people in that second group care about you far more than those in the first.

“Two, life is short. Time is precious. And not one of us knows how much we have. So many of the people I mentioned today are no longer with us. Some gone much too soon. Make your time count. Fill every 24 hours with the passions and pursuits that mean the most to you. And lastly, there’s not much traffic on the extra mile in life, so be sure to bring others along with you.”

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