Inside The Panthers

Legendary WR Visits Pitt Facility

Legendary Pitt Panthers wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald made a visit to UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the Southside.

Dominic Campbell

Feb 13, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Larry Fitzgerald at the Super Bowl Host Committee Handoff press conference at the Phoenix Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 13, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Larry Fitzgerald at the Super Bowl Host Committee Handoff press conference at the Phoenix Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- Legendary Pitt Panthers wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald never forgets his roots and returned back to where he played his illustrous college football career

Fitzgerald brought his son, Devin Fitzgerald, to the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the Southside, where Pitt practices. Pitt hosted football camps this past weekend to discover new talent and give local talent a chance to prove themselves to other programs.

Panthers defensive coordinator Randy Bates took a picture with Fitzgerald and posted it on his Twitter, exclaiming that Fitzgerald will make it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame soon.

Devin Fitzgerald also performed well enough at the camp to earn himself a scholarship, giving the program a chance to continue the family legacy.

247Sports ranks Devin Fitzgerald as the No. 4 player in Arizona and No. 62 wide receiver in the Class of 2026. He currently holds four FBS offers from Arizona, Bowling Green, Washington State and now Pitt.

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

He had one of the best seasons ever for the Panthers in 2003, where he worked with Pittsburgh native and quarterback Rod Rutherford to make 92 catches for 1,672 yards and 22 touchdowns. The receiving yards and receiving toucdowns both rank as the most for a Panther in a single season, while his 92 receptions rank third most.

Fitzgerald earned a number of honors and won numerous awards for his performance that season, including First Team All-Big East, Big East Offensive Player of the Year, unanimous All-American, and both the Walter Camp and Biletnikoff Awards, identifying him as one of the best players in the country and the top wide receiver in the FBS, respectively.

He entered the 2004 NFL Draft, where the Arizona Cardinals drafted him with the No. 3 overall pick. Fitzgerald would go on to have a stellar career, spending all 17 seasons through 2020 with the franchise.

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

He keeps a good relationship with Pitt and back in April, he posted on Instagram about how his time with the program made him into the man he is today.

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Dominic Campbell

DOMINIC CAMPBELL

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