Larry Fitzgerald Named Finalist For Heisman Trophy
12/10/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Larry Fitzgerald Named Finalist For Heisman Trophy
12/10/2003
PITTSBURGH?University of Pittsburgh wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has been named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, announced today on the 6 p.m. ET edition of SportsCenter. The announcement of the recipient will be during the Heisman Trophy Show on ESPN on Saturday night beginning at 8 p.m. Fizgerald is one of five finalists for the award, joining Oklahoma quarterback Jason White, Mississippi quarterback Eli Manning and Michigan tailback Chris Perry. Earlier this week, Fitzgerald (Minneapolis, Minn./Academy of the Holy Angels/Valley Forge Military Academy [Pa.]) was named the Big East Offensive Player of the Year, becoming the third Pittsburgh player to earn the league?s honor and just the second to do so outright. Tailback Billy West won the honor in 1994, while receiver Antonio Bryant was a co-recipient of the award in 2000. Fitzgerald is the third receiver in Big East history to earn the honor, following Bryant and Miami?s Santana Moss in 2000. 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 has additionally set seven 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), career 100-yard receiving games (14) and single-season 100-yard receiving games (10). The presentation will be shown immediately following the men?s basketball game against Youngstown State on the PantherVision scoreboard at the Petersen Events Center. All fans are encouraged to stay after the contest and watch the Heisman presentation.
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.