Pitt Panthers unveil Larry Fitzgerald bobblehead

PITTSBURGH – The Pitt Panthers will honor legendary wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald during their game against Syracuse at Acrisure Stadium on Oct. 24 with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff, including releasing a bobblehead of him.

The bobblehead features Fitzgerald when he played for the Panthers in the early 2000s, wearing the gold and white Vegas jersey, along with the dinosaur cat and retro block lettering. The box comes in the current colors of royal blue and mustard yellow, but still lists all the great achievements Fitzgerald has achieved with the program.

Pitt also provided a ticket discount for Fitzgerald, which was $34 for four sections in the lower level on the away sideline (106, 107, 113 and 114) as well as seven sections in the upper level (535 and 536 above the home sideline and then 509). is -513 above the away sideline.

He came to Pitt football after serving as one of the top high school wide receivers in Minnesota in the early 2000s. In 2002-03, he excelled in just two seasons with 161 catches for 2,677 yards and 34 touchdowns.

Fitzgerald had one of the best seasons ever for the Panthers in 2003, teaming with Pittsburgh native quarterback Rod Rutherford for 92 catches for 1,672 yards and 22 touchdowns. The receiving yards and receiving touchdowns rank among the most for a Panther in a single season, while his 92 receptions rank third most.

He received numerous honors and awards for his performance this season, including First Team All-Big East, Big East Offensive Player of the Year, All-American and both the Walter Camp Award and the Biletnikoff Award, which distinguished him as one of the best players in the country and the top wide receiver in the FBS.

The Arizona Cardinals selected Fitzgerald with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, a franchise where Fitzgerald would play all 17 years of his NFL career.

He finished his NFL career with 1,432 catches for 17,492 yards and 121 touchdowns. His receptions and receiving yards are the second-best of all time, behind Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, while his receiving touchdowns are the sixth-best.

Fitzgerald made 11 Pro Bowls (2005, 2007-13, 2015-17), was a two-time second-team All-Pro in 2009 and 2011, and is a member of the NFL 100th Anniversary Team and the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team.

His best season was 2008, when he was named the only First Team All-Pro. He led the NFL with 12 receiving touchdowns while also having 96 catches and a career-high 1,431 yards. He also had an incredible postseason, bringing the Cardinals within two minutes of a Super Bowl victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers before the defense failed to stop a last-minute attack.

Fitzgerald also led the NFL in receptions twice: in 2005 with 103 and in 2016 with a career-high 107. He also led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 2009 with a career-high 13.

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