popwarner.com - 2005 Award Recipients

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"Fitzgerald is a once-in-a-decade receiver who runs routes like an NFL vet, contorts his body like a circus freak and cranks out numbers like a switchboard operator. Fitzgerald also is the classiest person in the game." - (The Sporting News)

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About Larry Fitzgerald:

Former Minnesota Vikings ball boy, befriended by wide receivers Randy Moss and Cris Carter, who taught him some of the tricks of the trade, while Cardinals Head Coach Dennis Green was the Vikings' head coach in mid 1990s ... attended prep school after his senior year of high school, thus making it three years since his high school class graduated ... one of the most decorated receivers in Big East Conference history … Walter Camp player-of-the-year, Biletnikoff Award winner, and Columbus Touchdown Club player-of-the-year … unanimous all-America selection as a sophomore at University of Pittsburgh … in just 26 games with the Panthers, caught 161 passes for 2,677 yards (16.6-yard avg.) and 34 touchdowns … only Antonio Bryant (173, 1999–2001) and Latef Grim (178, 1998–2000) recorded more receptions in a career at Pittsburgh … his 2,677 yards rank behind Grim (2,680), Dietrich Jells (3,003, 1991–95) and Bryant (3,061), and 34 receiving scores broke the school career record of 30 by Bryant … also holds the school record with at least one touchdown catch in 16 consecutive games … first player in school history with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons receiving … his 14 games with at least 100 yards receiving broke the previous Panthers all-time record of 13 set by Bryant.

"One of the most decorated receivers in Big East Conference history, virtually everyone in the industry has heaped praise on this outstanding athlete..."

As a sophomore in 2003: Named Walter Camp player-of-the-year, becoming the first sophomore to win award, and joined running back Tony Dorsett (1976) and defensive end Hugh Green (1980) as one of three University of Pittsburgh Walter Camp Award recipients … also winner of the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation's outstanding receiver … Pittsburgh becomes first school to have two Biletnikoff Award winners, as Fitzgerald joined Antonio Bryant, who won the award in 2000 … finished second in the voting for the Heisman Trophy behind Oklahoma quarterback Jason White … unanimous all-America first-team choice, becoming Pittsburgh's first unanimous all-America honoree since Bill Fralic in 1984 and the school's 13th unanimous all-America pick … named Touchdown Club of Columbus player-of-the-year (Chic Harley Award) … also College Football News' player-of-the-year … unanimous first team all-Big East Conference—first Pittsburgh player to be a multiple-time unanimous all-Big East selection—and Big East Conference offensive player-of-the-year—third Pittsburgh player to earn the league's offensive player-of-the-year honor … led the NCAA in receiving yards-per-game, touchdown catches, total touchdowns, and total receiving yards … caught 92 passes for 1,672 yards (18.2-yard avg.) and 22 touchdowns, all school single-season records … his average of 7.08 catches-per-game broke the Big East mark of 6.82 by Pittsburgh's Latef Grim in 1999 … average of 128.62 yards-per-game receiving is surpassed only by Pittsburgh's Antonio Bryant (130.2 avg., 2000) on the Big East's record books … 22 touchdowns were one short of the school's overall single-season record of 23 by Tony Dorsett (1973–76) … gained over 100 yards receiving in 10 contests, one shy of the NCAA season-record of 11 by Aaron Turner of Pacific (1991) … had at least one touchdown reception in 11 games, one short of the NCAA season-record of 12 by Marshall's Randy Moss (1997)—his tutor during his youth as a ballboy for the Minnesota Vikings … scored 132 points, topped only by Dorsett (140 in 1976) on the school's single-season list … opened the season with six receptions for 123 yards and touchdown grabs of 7, 11, and 54 yards vs. Kent State, then followed with seven catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns vs. Ball State … exploded for 201 receiving yards on 12 grabs vs. Toledo … the 201 yards rank sixth on the school's single-game list … only Antonio Bryant (13 vs. Virginia Tech in 1999) and Harry Orszulak (16 vs. Penn State in 1968) had more catches in a game for the Panthers … totalled 135 yards and three touchdowns on seven receptions vs. Texas A&M, five receptions for 79 yards and two scores vs. Notre Dame … gained career-high 207 receiving yards on eight receptions against Rutgers with scoring catches of 11, 26, and 43 yards … only Antonio Bryant (212 vs. North Carolina in 2000, 215 vs. Virginia Tech in 1999, and 222 vs. Boston College in 2000) and Dietrich Jells (225 vs. West Virginia in 1994) recorded more yards in a game for the Panthers … amassed 149 yards on eight catches with two touchdowns vs. Syracuse … among seven receptions for 156 yards vs. Boston College was a 35-yard touchdown connection on option pass from tailback Javan Walker … his 35-yarder marked the 14th consecutive game he caught at least one scoring pass, an NCAA record, breaking the previous mark of 13 by Michigan State's Charles Rogers (2002) … also his 28th touchdown catch, the most ever by a college football player in his first two seasons, breaking the old mark of 27 touchdowns by Florida's Jabar Gaffney (27, 2000–01) … eight catches for 108 yards and a touchdown vs. Virginia Tech, nine receptions for 185 yards and a pair of scores vs. West Virginia … followed with seven receptions for 102 yards and two scores vs. Temple, marking his sixth consecutive 100-yard game, a school record … limited to 26 yards on three catches vs. Miami in regular-season finale, but scored on an 18-yard reception … concluded stellar career vs. Virginia in the Continental Tire Bowl with five receptions for 77 yards as fierce pass rush and blanketing defensive coverage led to five sacks and only six throws to Fitzgerald … it marked the first time since October 12, 2002 (against Notre Dame) that Fitzgerald did not have a touchdown reception, snapping his record string at 18 contests.

As a freshman in 2002: First team freshman all-America and unanimous first team all-Big East Conference selection, becoming the first true freshman to earn that distinction … became one of just six players in Big East history (and the first freshman) to compile 1,000 receiving yards in a single season … finished the season as the most prolific freshman receiver in Pittsburgh annals with 69 receptions for 1,005 yards (14.6-yard avg.), eclipsing Antonio Bryant's freshman marks set in 1999 (51 rec., 844 yards) …also had 12 touchdown catches to surpass Dwight Collins' 22-year-old freshman mark of 10 set in 1980 … among all Big East receivers, ranked first in receptions (5.31 reception-per-game avg.) and touchdowns, while finishing second in receiving yards (77.3-yards-per-game avg.) ... posted four 100-yard receiving games … first career reception was 11-yarder vs. Ohio … came off bench vs. Texas A&M to collect 10 catches for 103 yards … first start the following week vs. Alabama-Birmingham yielded no receptions—the only time in his college career he was shut out … snared six passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns vs. Toledo, then followed with 75 yards on three catches and a touchdown vs. Syracuse … seven grabs for 83 yards vs. Notre Dame, eight for 86 yards and a score vs. Boston College … fueled upset of Virginia Tech in front of a national television audience with five catches for 105 yards and three touchdowns … all three scores were acrobatic catches over Hokie defenders … finished regular season with 11 receptions for 159 yards and scoring grabs of 32 and 25 yards vs. West Virginia … caught five passes for 88 yards and a 40-yard touchdown vs. Oregon State in the Insight.com Bowl played in Bank One Ballpark in downtown Phoenix.

Personal: Spent 2001 season at Valley Forge (Pa.) Military Academy where he posted 35 receptions for 420 yards and seven touchdowns in six games … also two-time all-state and prep all-America receiver at Academy of the Holy Angels High School in Minneapolis, Minn. … recorded 73 receptions for 1,254 yards (17.2-yard avg.) and 17 touchdowns as a senior, 54 catches for 1,347 yards (24.9-yard avg.) with 12 touchdowns and had 10 consecutive 100-yard receiving games as a junior … also a three-year defensive starter, playing free safety as a senior and outside linebacker as a junior and sophomore … lettered twice in basketball and once in track … studied in the college of arts and sciences at Pittsburgh … father, Larry Sr., played football at Indiana State from 1975–77 ... Larry Sr. is currently the sports editor for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder … born Aug. 31, 1983 in Minneapolis.

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"We've played against a lot of great receivers over the years, but this guy is the best I've ever seen. His ability to go up, time a jump, and snatch the ball out of the air is the best I've seen. Last year, we were right there with him on three balls and he just went up and got 'em all for touchdowns." - (Virginia Tech's head coach Frank Beamer)

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The best advice I have ever received (and from whom) is: Continue to work hard - my parents

My greatest achievement is: staying out of trouble and being a model citizen

When I finish playing football, I would like to: Do something for community service

My hobbies and leisure activities include: chess, relaxing and enjoying my free time, video games