Larry Fitzgerald Named Finalist for Maxwell Award
12/2/2003
Tony Dorsett and Hugh Green are past winners of the prestigious honor.
University of Pittsburgh sophomore Larry Fitzgerald, the nation?s most prolific receiver, has been named one of three finalists for the Maxwell Award, annually presented to the nation?s most outstanding football player.
Fitzgerald (Minneapolis, Minn./Academy of the Holy Angels/Valley Forge Military Academy) joins Oklahoma quarterback Jason White and Mississippi quarterback Eli Manning as a Maxwell finalist. Pittsburgh players have twice won the award, including tailback Tony Dorsett in 1976 and defensive end Hugh Green in 1980.
The winner will be announced on ESPN?s Home Depot College Football Awards Show, airing live from Orlando, Fla., on December 11 at 7 p.m.
In addition to the Maxwell Award, Fitzgerald is a candidate for this year?s Heisman Trophy, Walter Camp Award (outstanding player) and Biletnikoff Award (outstanding receiver). He was recently named a first team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America and figures to receive prominent mention on many additional all-star teams before the year is through.
Fitzgerald leads the country in four different categories: receiving yards per game (132.9 avg.), total receiving yards (1,595), receiving TDs (22) and total TDs (22). He ranks third in points per game (11.0 avg.), while ranking seventh in receptions (7.3 avg.).
The prolific wideout has set two NCAA receiving records this season, including consecutive games with a TD catch (18) and TD catches as a freshman and sophomore (34). He has tied the NCAA mark for games catching a TD pass in one season (12?tied with Marshall?s Randy Moss, 1997).
He additionally has set six Big East receiving records this year: single-season receiving yards (1,595), single-season receptions (87), single-season TD catches (22), career TD catches (34), career 1,000-yard receiving seasons (two) and career 100-yard receiving games (14).
Pittsburgh finished the regular-season with an 8-4 overall record and 5-2 Big East mark. The Panthers will play Virginia (7-5) in the Continental Tire Bowl Dec. 27, their fourth consecutive postseason bid. The four consecutive bowl berths mark the Panthers? best postseason stretch since advancing to nine straight from 1975-83.
