Pittsburgh Panthers Retire Larry Fitzgerald's No. 1

Jul 1, 2013; New York, NY, USA; (L to R) Pittsburgh panther mascot, ACC commissioner John Swofford and former Pitt football all-american Larry Fitzgerald before the NASDAQ stock market closing bell ceremony after the ACC press conference at the NASDAQ Marketsite. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports /

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver and former Pittsburgh Panthers star Larry Fitzgerald has received the ultimate honor from his alma mater. Pitt has announced that they will be retiring the No. 1 jersey that was worn by Fitzgerald during his time at the university.

Fitzgerald will become the ninth Panther to have his jersey number retired.

Pitt announced the decision to retire Fitzgerald’s number during the ACC press conference:

"“Larry Fitzgerald is the greatest receiver in Pitt history and is well on his way to future Hall of Fame enshrinement in Canton. In addition to his exceptional football talents, Larry has always been one of the University of Pittsburgh’s finest representatives. As thrilling as he has been as a player, Larry has been even more inspiring off the field for his incredible commitment to philanthropic causes.“We are proud to appropriately honor Larry by adding his Pitt jersey to a legendary list that includes Ditka, Dorsett, Fralic, Goldberg, Green, Marino, May and Schmidt.”"

During his time at Pitt, Fitzgerald totaled 161 receptions, 2,677 receiving yards and 34 touchdowns. The numbers are incredible when you remember that he only played in 26 games.

Here is a photo of Fitzgerald during the announcement:

Photo via CBS Sports /

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Pittsburgh Panthers Retire Larry Fitzgerald’s No. 1

By Josh Sanchez | Jul 2, 2013