Larry Fitzgerald serves as honorary captain of the Pitt Panthers

PITTSBURGH – Former legendary Pitt Panthers wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald will serve as the team's honorary captain when it takes on rival Syracuse in Week 9 at Acrisure Stadium.

The team announced on August 7 that it would honor Fitzgerald at the game as he earned his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. They also announced that they will be making a limited number of these available to fans before the game, as well as a pre-game ticket discount.

Fitzgerald had great success against Syracuse at Pitt, with three catches for 75 yards and a touchdown in a 48-24 road win on October 5, 2002, and eight receptions for 149 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-14 win at Pitt Heinz Field on October 25, 2003.

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 had 207 receiving yards in a 42-32 road win against Rutgers in Week 7 and 201 receiving yards in the 35-31 road loss against Toledo in Week 3, which ranked both fifth and eighth in a single game in the story of Pitt proves, respectively.

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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