Larry Fitzgerald Named Pitt 2025 Commencement Speaker

The Pitt Panthers legend will send the Class of 2025 out in style.

Nov 1, 2022; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald talks to the media on the red carpet for the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Chateau Luxe. Nfl Arizona Sports Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony / Alex Gould/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

PITTSBURGH — Pitt Panthers legendary wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald excelled during his time with the football program and will give back to the student body in the near future.

The University of Pittsburgh announced Fitzgerald as the commencement speaker for the Spring Class of 2025 graduation ceremony, taking place on May 4, with a 2:30 p.m. start at PPG Paints Arena.

He came to Pitt football after serving as one of the best high school wide receivers in Minnesota in the early 2000s. He excelled for the program in just two seasons in 2002-03, making 161 catches for 2,677 yards and 34 touchdowns.

Fitzgerald had one of the best seasons ever for the Panthers in 2003, where he worked with Pittsburgh native and quarterback Rod Rutherford to make 92 catches for 1,672 yards and 22 touchdowns. The receiving yards and receiving touchdowns both rank as the most for a Panther in a single season, while his 92 receptions rank third most.

He had 207 receiving yards in a 42-32 road win over Rutgers in Week 7 and 201 receiving yards in the 35-31 loss on the road to Toledo in Week 3, which both rank fifth and eighth most in a single game in Pitt history, respectively.

He earned a number of honors and won numerous awards for his performance that season, including First Team All-Big East, Big East Offensive Player of the Year, unanimous All-American, and both the Walter Camp and Biletnikoff Awards, identifying him as one of the best players in the country and the top wide receiver in the FBS, respectively.

Fitzgerald also earned indcution this past December into the College Football Hall of Fame.

The Arizona Cardinals drafted Fitzgerald the the No. 3 overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, a franchise Fitzgerald would play all 17 years of his NFL career.

He finished his NFL career with 1,432 catches for 17,492 yards and 121 touchdowns. His receptions and receiving yards rank second best all-time, behind Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, while his receiving touchdowns ranks sixth best.

Fitzgerald made 11 Pro Bowls (2005, 2007-13, 2015-17), a two-time Second Team All-Pro in 2009 and 2011 and is a member of the NFL 100th Anniversary Team and the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team .

His best season came in 2008, earning his sole First Team All-Pro honor. He led the NFL with 12 receiving touchdowns, while also making 96 catches and a career-high 1,431 yards. He also had an incredible postseason, getting the Cardinals within two minutes of a Super Bowl victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, before the defense failed to stop a last-minute drive.

Fitzgerald also led the NFL in receptions twice in 2005 with 103 and 2016 with a career-high 107. He would also lead the NFL with receiving touchdowns in 2009 with a career-high 13. 

He has also engaged in philanthropic work, establishing The Larry Fitzgerald Foundation in 2005 in honor of his mother, which creates new opportunites for young people in poorer communities and also provideds resources for those fighting breast cancer.

Fitzgerald serves on the boards of Dick's Sporting Goods, Boys and Girls Club of America and Infinite Athlete and Qualtrics, and also is a co-owner of the Rajasthan Royal cricket team.

He co-founded Trenches Capital, which is a firm that invests in financical technology, critical technology and enterprise software. It invests in over 160 companies across sports, real estate, fintech, hospitality and technology.

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

• 2026 Edge Isaiah Harris Visiting Pitt
• Offer Report: New Pitt OLB/Edge Recruit Joshua Pittman
• Pitt HC Names Backup QB
• WATCH: Pitt's Pat Narduzzi Previews Spring Roster
• 2026 DB Amori McNeil High on Pitt

Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt