PITTSBURGH (PTTP) – The University of Pittsburgh can now officially welcome its 11th Pro Football Hall of Famer – former Pitt Panther and Arizona Cardinal wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald was officially indoctrinated as a first ballot Hall of Famer in the 2026 NFL Hall of Fame class during the NFL Honors on Thursday, February 5th as one of four potential first-ballot Hall of Famers.
Fitzgerald’s time as a Pitt Panther is not without its accolades. He was a star for the Panthers from 2002-03, winning the Fred Biletnikoff Award for best collegiate receiver in 2003 after boasting an NCAA-leading 1672 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns, also naming him a unanimous All-American and finishing second in the Heisman race. Fitzgerald would go on to become the 3rd overall selection of the 2004 NFL Draft, beginning his illustrious NFL Career.
Fitzgerald ended his tenure with the Arizona Cardinals after a long 17-season career, in which he secured 1,432 receptions and 17,492 receiving yards, both second in all-time NFL history. He was selected to the Pro Bowl 11 times, as well as to the 2010 NFL All-Decade team and to the NFL 100 All-Time team.
Fitzgerald is the third Pitt Panther in history to become a first-ballot Hall of Famer, joining the likes of Tony Dorsett, class of 1994, and Dan Marino, class of 2005.