Larry Fitzgerald

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2003

Fitzgerald had a stellar sophomore season in 2003. He began the campaign against Kent State with six receptions for 123 yards and three touchdowns in the 43–3 victory. In the next game against Ball State, he had seven receptions for 124 yards and two touchdowns in the 42–21 victory. Fitzgerald once again put out a great effort in the following game against Toledo with 12 receptions for 201 yards and a touchdown in the 35–31 loss. In the next game against Texas A&M, Fitzgerald had his fourth consecutive game with at least 100 receiving yards with seven receptions for 135 yards and three touchdowns in the 37–26 victory. Two weeks later, against Notre Dame, he was held under 100 yards for the first time but still had five receptions for 79 yards and two touchdowns in the 20–14 loss. Fitzgerald bounced back in the next game against Rutgers with eight receptions for a season-high 207 yards and two touchdowns in the 42–32 victory. Fitzgerald's hot streak continued in the next game against Syracuse, where he had eight receptions for 149 yards and two touchdowns in the 34–14 victory. Fitzgerald's performance against the Orange was his fourth consecutive game with at least two touchdowns.

Fitzgerald started the month of November with seven receptions for 156 yards and a touchdown in a 24–13 victory over Boston College. In the following week against #5 Virginia Tech, he had eight receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown in the 31–28 upset victory. Fitzgerald added another great performance against West Virginia in the following week with nine receptions for 185 yards and two touchdowns in the 52–31 loss. In the following week against Temple, he had seven receptions for 102 yards and two touchdowns as the Panthers won 30–16. Fitzgerald's performance against the Owls was his sixth consecutive game with at least 100 receiving yards. Fitzgerald's impressive streak ended the following week against #10 Miami with three receptions for 26 yards and a touchdown in the 28–14 loss. Despite having a season-low in yardage, Fitzgerald ended up recording his 12th consecutive game with at least one touchdown reception in the 2003 season, and 18th straight game with a touchdown reception dating back to the previous season. Pitt finished with an 8–4 record in the regular season and qualified for a bowl game. In the 2003 Continental Tire Bowl, Fitzgerald had five receptions for 77 yards against Virginia in the final game of his collegiate career, a 23–16 loss. He was held without a touchdown for the first time in 18 collegiate games.

Overall, Fitzgerald led the Big East conference with 92 receptions for an NCAA-leading 1,672 yards and 22 touchdowns in the 2003 season.

After his sophomore season, Fitzgerald was recognized as the best player in the NCAA with the 2003 Walter Camp Award and the Touchdown Club of Columbus's Chic Harley Award, and as the nation's outstanding receiver in college football with the 2003 Biletnikoff Award and the Touchdown Club's Paul Warfield Award. He was a unanimous All-American selection in 2003 and a runner-up for the prestigious Heisman Trophy, given to the most outstanding player in college football; Oklahoma's Jason White won the award that year with 1,481 total points to Fitzgerald's 1,353.

In just 26 games in his collegiate career, Fitzgerald caught 161 passes for 2,677 yards and set a new Pitt record with 34 receiving touchdowns. He was the first player in school history with back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons, and his 14 games with at least 100 yards receiving broke Antonio Bryant's previous all-time Panthers record of 13. Fitzgerald's 18 straight games with at least one touchdown reception is an NCAA record.

On July 1, 2013, Fitzgerald's #1 jersey was retired by the University of Pittsburgh. Fitzgerald was the ninth Pittsburgh player to receive this honor. In 2021, Fitzgerald was ranked second on ESPN's list of the 50 greatest wide receivers of the past 50 years.

2008: Super Bowl XLIII

The 2008 season marked a huge year for Fitzgerald in terms of individual accomplishment and team success. He totaled seven games going over the 100-yard mark, including two games eclipsing the 150-yard barrier. In addition, he had three games where he caught two touchdown passes.

Fitzgerald finished the regular season with 96 receptions for 1,431 yards and a league-leading 12 touchdowns. For the first time in his career, the Cardinals finished with a winning record at 9–7 and won the NFC West, giving Arizona their first home playoff game since 1947.

In his playoff debut, Fitzgerald had six receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown in a 30–24 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in the Wild Card Round. In the Divisional Round, he had eight receptions for 166 yards in the 33–13 upset victory over the second-seeded Carolina Panthers. During the NFC Championship for the 2008 NFL season, Fitzgerald tied an NFL record with three touchdown receptions in a playoff game. His three touchdown catches occurred in the first half; he became the first player in NFL history to accomplish that feat in a conference championship game. As a result of the 32–25 victory over the Eagles, Fitzgerald and the Cardinals represented the NFC in Super Bowl XLIII. During Super Bowl XLIII, Fitzgerald caught two touchdown passes in the game. Late in the fourth quarter, Fitzgerald had a 64-yard touchdown reception from Kurt Warner to go ahead 23–20, but the score did not hold as the Pittsburgh Steelers scored a touchdown with only 35 seconds remaining to go ahead 27–23, which was the game's final score. Fitzgerald set a single postseason record with 546 receiving yards, 30 receptions, and seven touchdown receptions, surpassing Jerry Rice's records of the 1988–89 NFL playoffs.

Fitzgerald followed up his great 2008 season by catching two more touchdown passes in the 2009 Pro Bowl, earning him MVP honors. After the Pro Bowl was over, it was revealed that Fitzgerald had been playing at least the whole postseason with a broken left thumb as well as torn cartilage in the same hand. It is speculated that Fitzgerald has had this injury since November 5, 2008, when he showed up on the injury report with an injured thumb. After his record-breaking postseason, capped by his Pro Bowl MVP award, many analysts, including NFL Network's Jamie Dukes, regarded Fitzgerald as one of the best receivers in the NFL. He was named as a First-team All Pro for the 2008 season.

Records

Seasons with 90+ receptions: 8

Most touchdown receptions in a postseason: 7 (2008)

Most receptions in a postseason: 30 (2008)

Most postseason games with 150+ receiving yards: 3

Fewest games needed to score 10 postseason receiving touchdowns (8 games over 7 years)

Youngest player to record 1,000 receptions (32 years, 97 days)

First wide receiver in NFL history to record at least 150 career receptions against three different franchises (Seahawks, Rams, and 49ers)

Most receptions (career): 1,378

Most receptions (season): 109 (2015 and 2017)

Most receptions (playoff career): 57

Most receptions (playoff season): 30 (2008)

Most receptions (playoff game): 9 (January 18, 2009, NFC Championship against the Philadelphia Eagles; tied with Roy Green and David Johnson)

Most receiving yards (career): 17,492

Most receiving yards (playoff career): 942

Most receiving yards (playoff season): 546 (2008)

Most receiving yards (playoff game): 176 (January 16, 2016, Divisional Round against the Green Bay Packers)

Most yards per reception (playoff career): 16.5

Most yards per reception (playoff season): 18.2 (2008)

Most yards per reception (playoff game) (minimum five receptions): 22 (January 16, 2016, Divisional Round against the Green Bay Packers)

Most receiving touchdowns (career): 120

Most receiving touchdowns (playoff career): 10

Most receiving touchdowns (playoff season): 7 (2008)

Most receiving touchdowns (playoff game): 3 (January 18, 2009, against the Philadelphia Eagles)

Most receiving touchdowns (rookie season): 8 (2004; tied with Anquan Boldin and Marvin Harrison Jr.)

Most receiving yards per game (playoff career): 104.7

Most receiving yards per game (playoff season): 136.5 (2008)

Most total touchdowns (career): 121

Most total touchdowns (playoff career): 10

Most total touchdowns (playoff season): 7 (2008)

Most total touchdowns (playoff game): 3 (tied with Mario Bates) (January 18, 2009, NFC Championship against the Philadelphia Eagles)

Most yards from scrimmage (career): 17,560

Most yards from scrimmage (playoff career): 942

Most yards from scrimmage (playoff season): 546 (2008)

Most yards from scrimmage (playoff game): 176 (January 16, 2016, Divisional Round against the Green Bay Packers)

Most all-purpose yards (career): 17,560

Most all-purpose yards (playoff career): 942

Most all-purpose yards (playoff season): 546 (2008)

Most 100+-yard receiving games (career): 49

Most 100+-yard receiving games (playoffs): 5

Most 100+-yard receiving games (season): 11 (2008)

Most games with 1+ touchdown scored (career): 106

Most games with 1+ touchdown scored (season): 13 (2008)

Most games with 1+ touchdown scored (playoffs): 6

Most games with 2+ touchdowns scored (career): 22

Most games with 2+ touchdowns scored (playoffs): 3

Most games with 3+ touchdowns scored (playoffs): 1 (tied with Mario Bates)

Most seasons with 1,000+ receiving yards (career): 9

Most seasons with 1,000+ combined yards: 9

Most seasons with 10+ receiving touchdowns: 5

Most consecutive seasons scoring a touchdown: 17 (2004–2020)

Consecutive games with a catch: 256

Personal life

Fitzgerald's father, Larry Fitzgerald Sr., was a sportswriter for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. When he covered Super Bowl XLIII, he was believed to be the first reporter to cover his own son in a Super Bowl. Fitzgerald's mother, Carol, died of a brain hemorrhage while being treated for breast cancer in 2003. Fitzgerald's father died in 2026 from multiple health issues.

In 2016, Fitzgerald completed his undergraduate degree with the University of Phoenix, fulfilling a promise that he made to his mother to finish his education. Since graduation he has become a paid spokesperson for the University of Phoenix.

Fitzgerald is an avid traveler and has visited nearly 100 countries.

Fitzgerald has three sons, including Devin, also a wide receiver and an NCAA Division 1 prospect. In December 2025, Devin signed his National Letter of Intent to Notre Dame.

Fitzgerald developed a friendship with Arizona politician John McCain, and spoke at the memorial service for the U.S. senator and Presidential candidate held in Phoenix on August 30, 2018.

On January 22, 2020, Fitzgerald bought a minority stake in the NBA's Phoenix Suns to become a partial team owner. Prior to his retirement, Fitzgerald was the second active NFL player behind Aaron Rodgers to hold an ownership stake with a franchise in the NBA. He has developed a long-standing friendship with franchise owner Robert Sarver since 2005, with him getting more active and involved with the Suns since 2018. His role with the franchise involves him being an advisor and resource for the Suns' business and basketball staff, as well as be a player advisor for both the Suns and Phoenix Mercury, their WNBA franchise. Fitzgerald continues to remain a part of the team's ownership following Sarver's year-long suspension from the NBA and later buyout of the team to new owners Mat Ishbia and Justin Ishbia, being one of three minority owners to keep all of their stakes with the team once the sale went through on February 7, 2023. Later in 2023, Fitzgerald and Suns player Devin Booker would become part-owners of a new pickleball team, formed as part of a 12-team expansion to Major League Pickleball.

Fitzgerald is an active venture investor, having invested in 40 to 50 companies as of October 2019. Fitzgerald turned his passion to see the world into a travel business that he operates, hosting trips in a number of areas around the world.

Fitzgerald is an avid chess player and is the board member of First Move Chess. He played Chess.com's BlitzChamps tournament, a rapid tournament for NFL players where he lost in the semifinals to the eventual champion Chidobe Awuzie.

Philanthropy

Fitzgerald established the “Larry Fitzgerald First Down Fund” to help kids and their families by funding positive activities for kids during the summer and throughout the year, supporting kids and families in crisis and supporting health-related organizations that work with families. One initiative the “First Down Fund” holds each summer are youth football camps in Arizona and Minnesota. In May 2014, Fitzgerald and Lenovo provided five schools in Minneapolis and four schools in Phoenix Lenovo tablets and equipment to enable the children to gain access to technology. The First Down Fund made a donation to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation to help refurbish a basketball court at Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Park. The court received new hoops, poles, backboards and benches. He partnered with Riddell to provide new helmets to 1,000 kids in the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation football program.

Fitzgerald established the “Carol Fitzgerald Memorial Fund” in honor of his mother, who died of breast cancer in 2003. The organization offers support to causes that Fitzgerald's mother held dear, including educating urban youth about HIV/AIDS and breast cancer issues. He has served as an NFL spokesman for the league-wide breast cancer awareness initiative “A Crucial Catch” for three years and every October makes donations to breast cancer organizations based on his touchdowns and receptions during the month.

In August 2012, he was honored with the 14th annual Pro Football Weekly Arthur S. Arkush Humanitarian Award for his community and charitable contributions.

Fitzgerald has made five USO tours to visit soldiers overseas and has raised financial support for injured and critically ill members of the U.S. military.

During the 2013 season, Fitzgerald was honored with the NFL Players Association Georgetown Lombardi Award. The award was established to honor a leader in the sports industry whose life and family have been touched by cancer, and who encourages cancer research, prevention and treatment through awareness and philanthropy.

In 2014, Fitzgerald was selected as the 2014 Henry P. Iba Citizen Athlete Male Recipient, which was created in 1994 by the Rotary Club of Tulsa to recognize an influential male and female premiere athlete for their success in their sport and for being a positive role model who gives back to their communities.

In 2017, Fitzgerald received the Heritage Award from the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry due to his ongoing commitment to improving the lives of Arizonans.

In 2023, Fitzgerald was nominated as a Henry Crown Fellow.

In 2025, Fitzgerald won the Heisman Humanitarian Award.

About Larry Fitzgerald

About Larry Fitzgerald

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Early life

College career

2002

2003

Professional career

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008: Super Bowl XLIII

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Retirement

Career statistics

Career highlights

Awards and honors

Records

Personal life

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In the media

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Philanthropy

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