Having spent time at a prep school before attending college, Larry Fitzgerald was only at the University of Pittsburgh for two seasons before he was drafted by the Cardinals.
But the wide receiver was a shooting star in those two years, leaving such an enduring impression on the landscape that he was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame this week as part of the 2024 class.
"Truly grateful and humbled for this moment," Fitzgerald wrote on X (formerly Twitter.)
Fitzgerald played just 26 collegiate games, but had 161 receptions for 2,677 yards and 34 touchdowns. Foreshadowing his NFL greatness, Fitzgerald's final year of 2003 featured 92 catches, 1,672 yards and 22 touchdowns in only 13 games, despite being the defense's focal point weekly.
Catching a TD pass in 18 straight games to set an NCAA record, Fitzgerald set or tied four NCAA records and 11 school records.
As a sophomore, he was the 2003 Heisman Trophy runner-up to Oklahoma quarterback Jason White. He won the Fred Biletnikoff Award as college's top wide receiver and was a first-team All-American.
Fitzgerald was then made the No. 3 overall pick by the Cardinals in 2004.
"Larry has been making us proud since the day he joined our organization and his selection to the College Football Hall of Fame is just the most recent example," Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said. "We applaud him on this honor and look forward to celebrating again in a couple of years when he's enshrined in Canton."
Fitzgerald is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame – in Canton, Ohio – in 2026. He is expected to be a first-ballot choice after finishing with the second-most receptions (1,432) and yards (17,492) in NFL history.
