Northwestern Football’s Robert Fitzgerald Earns First-Team Academic All-American Honors

Northwestern safety Robert Fitzgerald named first-team academic All-American

The Northwestern Wildcats head coach enter the field | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

At Northwestern, excellence has always been measured by more than just wins and losses. The program’s identity has long been rooted in the true meaning of the term 'student-athlete'. And now on Tuesday, redshirt junior safety Robert Fitzgerald historically embodied that standard. Fitzgerald was named a First-Team Academic All-American by the College Sports Communicators.

National Recognition in the Northwestern Football Classroom

The recognition places Fitzgerald in rare company. He becomes the 40th Academic All-American in Northwestern football history since the award began in 1956. Even more impressively, he is only the fourth Wildcat to earn first-team honors since 2012. He joined Patrick Ward in 2012, Tyler Gillikin in 2020, and Josh Priebe in 2023.

Academic All-American 🌟🇺🇸

Robert Fitzgerald earns First Team CSC Academic All-America honors! pic.twitter.com/cd66VkVK1R

— Northwestern Football (@NUFBFamily) January 27, 2026

The Academic All-America First Team is one of the most exclusive lists in college sports. The Division I team includes just 25 student-athletes nationwide, making Fitzgerald’s selection especially significant. A Learning and Organizational Change major, he was one of only four Big Ten players to earn first-team recognition in 2025.

His honor underscores the academic environment Northwestern has cultivated under head coach David Braun. That's where high-level football performance coexists with elite academic expectations.

While his academic resume is exceptional, Fitzgerald’s on-field performance during the 2025 season was equally remarkable. After contributing steadily in earlier seasons and making an impact on special teams, he delivered a true breakout campaign that earned him Second-Team All-Big Ten honors.

As the backbone of the Wildcats’ secondary, Fitzgerald compiled 115 total tackles, along with 6.0 tackles for loss and four pass breakups. If that wasn't enough, he forced a fumble, an interception, and a fumble recovery. His presence and leadership helped anchor a defense that capped the season with a dominant 34–7 victory over Central Michigan in the GameAbove Sports Bowl in December.

A Breakout Season on the Field

Fitzgerald’s numbers placed him firmly in Northwestern history. He became the first Wildcat defensive back since at least 1995 to record more than 110 tackles in a single season. On a conference level, he was the first Big Ten defensive back since 2010 to post at least 115 tackles and 6.0 tackles for loss in the same year.

His consistency stood out week after week. Fitzgerald recorded five games with double-digit tackles. That included 10 against Oregon and 13 in a shutout win over Purdue. One of his most memorable performances came against Michigan.

It was when he tallied 15 tackles and added an interception. He became the first Northwestern player since 2010 to achieve that combination in a single game. The stat lines evoked comparisons to past Wildcat standouts such as Godwin Igwebuike and Brian Peters.

Fitzgerald’s rise to All-American status did not happen overnight. He made his collegiate debut against Ohio State in 2022 and spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons earning Academic All-Big Ten honors while steadily expanding his role on defense. Long before arriving in Evanston, his foundation was already set at West Jesuit. That's where he was a District MVP, starred at safety and running back, and was a member of the National Honor Society.

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