We are two years out from Arizona Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald being eligible for the NFL Hall of Fame, and he should be a first ballot no-brainer.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Fitzgerald is second all-time in receiving yards (17,492) and receptions (1,432), sitting behind the G.O.A.T. wide receiver, Jerry Rice. Before he became one of the greatest NFL receivers in history, Fitzgerald tore up the college football scene at the University of Pittsburgh.
Before he stepped foot in the NFL, the former Cardinal played two seasons for the Panthers, wowing the masses with spectacular plays and breaking record after record. As he waits for his inevitable NFL HOF induction, he can proudly gaze at his latest donning as one of the greatest receivers to ever play college football.
Fitzgerald was inducted into the National Football College Foundation Hall of Fame on Wednesday.
Welcome to the College Football Hall of Fame legendary @Pitt_FB WR @LarryFitzgerald!#H2P pic.twitter.com/vJPNNU8y36
— National Football Foundation (@NFFNetwork) December 11, 2024
Though his college football career was a short one, it was an evident decision to induct Fitzgerald into the Hall in his first year of being eligible.
Fitzgerald put together two great college football seasons, but his sophomore year is enough to sum up why his selection was undeniable. In 2003, Fitzgerald was named a unanimous All-American, winning the the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, Fred Biletnikoff Award for the best receiver in college football and finished as the runner-up in the 2023 Heisman Trophy race.
.@LarryFitzgerald's career includes a historic first as the first sophomore to win the Walter Camp Player of the Year award. He’s now @Pitt_FB's 20th player inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, a well-earned honor. #CFBHALL #CollegeFootball #Pitt #PittPanthers #H2P pic.twitter.com/JX49POPR5i
— College Football Hall of Fame (@cfbhall) December 10, 2024
The Panthers star wide receiver caught 92 passes for 1,672 yards, leading the nation with 128.62 receiving yards per game and 22 touchdowns. Over the course of his career, he recorded 161 catches for 2,677 yards. His 34 touchdowns is still the most in Pitt history.
Fitzgerald signed with Pitt after spending a year at Pennsylvania’s Valley Forge Military Academy. As a result of his well-used Panther, he was selected as the third overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft by the Cardinals. He spent his entire 17-year NFL career in Arizona and was named to the NFL All-Time 100 team as one of the best players in the leagues first 100 years.
Fitzgerald’s induction into the College Football Hall of Fame is just a precursor for the gold jacket he’ll be receiving from the NFL in the near future.
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Reporter Jordyn Bennett covers the Arizona Cardinals, Phoenix area sports and sports related topics. You can follow him on his X account, @j_bennett_live
