Larry Fitzgerald had one of the most storied careers in football. From being one of the best college football players we have ever witnessed to doing that, if not better, in the NFL, puts him in rarified air. He was seeing some of the most ridiculous coverages with the Pittsburgh Panthers throughout his collegiate career, and still was putting up video game numbers. Let’s take a deeper dive into his college football career and see where one outlet ranks him amongst the greatest college football players of all time.
Larry Fitzgerald ranks as the 30th-best player in college football history
Oct 24, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Former Pittsburgh Panthers wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald reacts on the sideline against the Syracuse Orange during the second half at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
There are few receivers who could sniff the type of dominance that wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald had while playing for the Pittsburgh Panthers. The Sports Illustrated staff created a list of the top 50 college football players of all time, and Fitzgerald’s name managed to make the list, ranking him 30th. Below is what they had to say about his collegiate career:
“Pull up tape of Fitzgerald at Pittsburgh, and you’ll see an array of some of the most impressive catches you’ve ever seen: receptions of the one-handed variety, jump balls in the end zone and ridiculous snags in traffic with multiple defenders draped all over him. Fitzgerald was a problem defenders rarely solved. He was also a touchdown machine, having set an NCAA record with a touchdown catch in 18 straight games. His 2003 season, in which he tallied 92 receptions for 1,672 yards and a whopping 22 touchdowns while seeing double and triple coverage weekly, might be the greatest season by a wide receiver in college football history.”
Larry Fitzgerald only played in two college football seasons in 2002-03, and looked like a bona fide superstar. In 26 collegiate games, he recorded 161 receptions for 2,677 yards (16.6 yards per catch) with 34 touchdowns. In the 2003 season before declaring for the NFL Draft, he would be an All-American as well as be the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy behind Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jason White, but beating out future stars like Eli Manning, Darren Sproles, Phillip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger.
Larry Fitzgerald was the third-best Pittsburgh Panthers player as well as the fourth-best wide receiver on this list. It will be intriguing to see if another wide receiver in a non-power conference can put up the numbers that he was able to do.
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