Larry Fitzgerald's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A closer look at the biggest achievements of Larry Fitzgerald. Awards, milestones, and records that define success.

Larry Fitzgerald Jr. is a retired American football wide receiver who spent his entire 17-season NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals. A standout college player for the Pittsburgh Panthers, earning All-American honors, he was drafted third overall in 2004. Widely regarded as one of the NFL's greatest receivers, Fitzgerald is celebrated for his exceptional skills and longevity.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1947: Cardinals First Home Playoff Game

In 2008, the Arizona Cardinals had their first home playoff game since 1947.

1988: Super Bowl Performance

In the 2008 NFL season playoffs, Larry Fitzgerald set a single postseason record with 546 receiving yards, 30 receptions, and seven touchdown receptions, surpassing Jerry Rice's records of the 1988–89 NFL playoffs.

1994: Henry P. Iba Citizen Athlete Award Founded

In 1994, the Rotary Club of Tulsa created the Henry P. Iba Citizen Athlete Award.

1995: Fitzgerald and Boldin second tandem

In 2005, Fitzgerald and Boldin became only the second tandem from the same team since Herman Moore and Brett Perriman of the Detroit Lions in 1995, to each catch over 100 passes and top the 1,400-yard mark.

2003: Awards and Honors in 2003

After his sophomore season, Larry Fitzgerald was recognized as the best player in the NCAA with the 2003 Walter Camp Award and the Touchdown Club of Columbus's Chic Harley Award, and as the nation's outstanding receiver in college football with the 2003 Biletnikoff Award and the Touchdown Club's Paul Warfield Award. He was a unanimous All-American selection in 2003 and a runner-up for the prestigious Heisman Trophy.

2003: All-American Honors

In 2003, Larry Fitzgerald earned unanimous All-American honors while playing college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers.

2003: Season Stats

In the 2003 season, Larry Fitzgerald led the Big East conference with 92 receptions for 1,672 yards and an NCAA-leading 22 touchdowns.

2005: NFL Leading Receiver

In 2005, Larry Fitzgerald led the NFL with 103 receptions and was named to his first Pro Bowl. He teamed with Anquan Boldin to create one of the most productive wide receiver tandems in the NFL.

2006: 2006 Season Statistics

Overall, Larry Fitzgerald finished the 2006 season with 69 receptions for 946 yards and six touchdowns as the Cardinals finished the year with a 5–11 record.

2007: Pro Bowl Season and Contract Extension

In 2007, Larry Fitzgerald had a Pro Bowl season, catching 100 passes for 1,409 yards and 10 touchdowns, leading to a four-year, $40 million contract extension with Arizona.

2008: First-Team All-Pro Selection

In 2008, Larry Fitzgerald was named first-team All-Pro.

2008: Playoff and Super Bowl Performance

In the 2008 NFL season playoffs, Larry Fitzgerald excelled with multiple receptions, yards, and touchdowns, leading the Cardinals to Super Bowl XLIII where he made a 64-yard touchdown. Fitzgerald set a single postseason record with 546 receiving yards, 30 receptions, and seven touchdown receptions, surpassing Jerry Rice's records of the 1988–89 NFL playoffs.

2008: League-Leading Touchdowns and Playoff Berth

Larry Fitzgerald finished the 2008 regular season with 96 receptions for 1,431 yards and a league-leading 12 touchdowns, helping the Cardinals achieve a 9–7 winning record and their first home playoff game since 1947.

2009: Pro Bowl MVP and Recognition

Following up his stellar 2008 season, Larry Fitzgerald caught two more touchdown passes in the 2009 Pro Bowl, earning him MVP honors, despite playing with a broken left thumb and torn cartilage in his hand. He was also named as a First-team All Pro for the 2008 season.

2009: League-Leading Touchdowns and Playoff Berth

In 2009, Larry Fitzgerald had 97 receptions for 1,092 yards and a league-leading 13 touchdowns as the Cardinals went 10–6 and returned to the playoffs.

2009: Second-Team All-Pro Selection

In 2009, Larry Fitzgerald was named second-team All-Pro.

2009: Pro Bowl Selection

In 2009, Larry Fitzgerald was named to his third consecutive and fourth career Pro Bowl for his efforts.

2010: 2010 Season Statistics and Pro Bowl Selection

During the 2010 season, Larry Fitzgerald recorded 90 receptions for 1,137 yards and six touchdowns. Following the 2010 season, he was named to his fifth Pro Bowl.

2010: Youngest player record broken

In 2010, Aaron Hernandez broke Larry Fitzgerald's record of being the youngest player to record at least two touchdown receptions in a single game.

2011: Strong 2011 Season

During the 2011 season, Larry Fitzgerald had a strong performance, exceeding 100 receiving yards in six games. On November 13, 2011, he earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against the Philadelphia Eagles, contributing to a 21-17 victory. Despite his efforts, the Cardinals missed the playoffs with an 8-8 record.

2011: NFL Top 100 Players Ranking

Following the 2010 season, in 2011, Larry Fitzgerald was ranked as the 14th best player in the league by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players list.

2011: Second-Team All-Pro Selection

In 2011, Larry Fitzgerald was named second-team All-Pro.

August 2012: Arthur S. Arkush Humanitarian Award

In August 2012, Fitzgerald was honored with the 14th annual Pro Football Weekly Arthur S. Arkush Humanitarian Award for his community and charitable contributions.

2012: Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Nomination

Following the 2012 football season, Larry Fitzgerald was named as the Cardinals' Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year and was one of three finalists for the national Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.

2012: NFC Offensive Player of the Week

In Week 3 of the 2012 season, Larry Fitzgerald had nine receptions for 114 yards and one touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles, earning him NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

2012: Stellar 2012 Season

In the 2012 season, Larry Fitzgerald had a stellar performance, catching 80 passes for 1,411 yards and eight touchdowns, achieving a personal record of 17.6 yards per catch. He earned an All-Pro second-team selection and his sixth Pro Bowl selection. He finished ranked as the seventh best player in the league among his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012 list.

July 1, 2013: Jersey Retired by University of Pittsburgh

On July 1, 2013, Larry Fitzgerald's #1 jersey was retired by the University of Pittsburgh. He was the ninth Pittsburgh player to receive this honor.

2013: NFL Players Association Georgetown Lombardi Award

During the 2013 season, Fitzgerald was honored with the NFL Players Association Georgetown Lombardi Award, which recognizes a leader in sports touched by cancer who encourages research, prevention, and treatment.

2013: Pro Bowl Selection and Season Performance

In 2013, Larry Fitzgerald had 71 receptions for 798 yards and four touchdowns. The Cardinals went 5-11 and missed the playoffs. He was named to his sixth consecutive and seventh career Pro Bowl. He finished ranked 22nd by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2013 list.

2013: Improved Season but Missed Playoffs

In the 2013 season, Larry Fitzgerald had 82 receptions for 954 yards and ten touchdowns. The Cardinals improved to a 10-6 record, but still missed out on the playoffs. For his 2013 season, he was named to his seventh consecutive and eighth overall Pro Bowl.

2014: NFL Top 100 Ranking

Following the 2013 season, Larry Fitzgerald was ranked 38th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014 list.

2014: Henry P. Iba Citizen Athlete Male Recipient

In 2014, Fitzgerald was selected as the 2014 Henry P. Iba Citizen Athlete Male Recipient by the Rotary Club of Tulsa, recognizing his success in sports and positive role model status.

2014: 2014 Season Performance

In 2014, Larry Fitzgerald started his 11th professional season with the Cardinals, but the team's performance was hindered by instability at the quarterback position. Despite the challenges, on October 26, 2014, he had a season-high 160 receiving yards and a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles, earning him his third career NFC Offensive Player of the Week award.

2014: Youngest player record broken

In 2014, Mike Evans broke Larry Fitzgerald's record of being the youngest player to record at least two touchdown receptions in a single game.

2015: Pro Bowl Selection and Statistical Achievements

During the 2015 season, Larry Fitzgerald had 109 catches for 1,215 yards and nine touchdowns. For his accomplishments during the 2015 season, he was selected to the Pro Bowl for the ninth time.

2015: Strong Performances and Playoff Berth

In 2015, Larry Fitzgerald had a strong season, including a game against the Chicago Bears where he had 112 receiving yards and three touchdown passes, earning him NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. He became the youngest player to reach 1,000 career receptions. The Cardinals finished with a 13-3 record and won the NFC West.

2015: Wild Card Round and NFL Top 100 Ranking

In 2015, during the Wild Card Round against the Carolina Panthers, Larry Fitzgerald had three receptions for 31 yards in a 27-16 defeat. He was ranked 68th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015 list.

January 16, 2016: NFC Divisional Round Game-Winning Performance

On January 16, 2016, Larry Fitzgerald helped his quarterback Carson Palmer record his first playoff win with eight catches for a franchise-record 176 yards in the NFC Divisional Round game against the Green Bay Packers. Fitzgerald's 75-yard reception and five-yard touchdown reception in overtime resulted in a 26-20 win.

September 11, 2016: 100 Career Touchdowns

On September 11, 2016, Larry Fitzgerald had eight receptions for 81 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the 10th player to reach 100 career touchdowns, in the season-opening 23-21 loss to the New England Patriots.

2016: League Leader in Receptions

At the end of the 2016 season, Larry Fitzgerald led the NFL in receptions for the second time with 107. He moved from 11th to 3rd on the all-time career reception list, and ended the season ninth all-time in receiving yards. He was named to his tenth career Pro Bowl.

2016: NFL Top 100 Players Ranking

Following the 2015 season, Larry Fitzgerald was ranked 27th on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016 list.

December 19, 2017: Pro Bowl Selection

On December 19, 2017, Larry Fitzgerald was named to his 11th Pro Bowl, but was later replaced by Doug Baldwin.

2017: NFL Top 100 Ranking

Following the 2016 season, Larry Fitzgerald was ranked 45th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017 list.

2017: Heritage Award from the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry

In 2017, Fitzgerald received the Heritage Award from the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry due to his ongoing commitment to improving the lives of Arizonans.

2018: NFL Top 100 Ranking

Following the 2017 season, Larry Fitzgerald was ranked 27th on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.

2018: AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Win

In 2018, Fitzgerald made history by becoming the first African American amateur to win the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, partnering with PGA Tour professional Kevin Streelman.

2019: Statistical Achievements

During the 2018 season, in Week 14, against the Detroit Lions, Fitzgerald set an NFL record for most receptions with one team with 1,282. The gloves he used in that game and the ball he caught were sent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He finished the 3-13 season as the Cardinals leading receiver with 69 receptions for a career-low 734 yards with six receiving touchdowns.