No, Pat Fitzgerald did not play in the NFL. He was a great college football player, but he never went pro. Throughout the years of playing, he achieved a lot. We all have that one friend that seems to do everything right and Pat was his college football equivalent.
I still remember when I heard about Pat Fitzgerald for the first time. I was in my freshman dorm watching the Notre Dame vs Northwestern game and the crowd went wild when Pat stepped out onto the field. His energy and enthusiasm was unbelievable. I mean, you could feel it even from the TV.
It was clear that Pat was a natural leader from the start. He was recruited out of High School which was a huge accomplishment at the time for him. Pat then earned a starting position within a few weeks and never looked back. It was really amazing to watch, no matter what the circumstances were, Pat always showed up, always hustled and never gave up.
Throughout his college career, Pat proved time and time again that he was a great player. He was a two-time captain of the Northwestern team, and he was an All-American in 1995. Everyone at Northwestern was extremely proud of all his accomplishments and it seemed like whatever he touched, he excelled in.
Everyone expected Pat to go to the NFL after college, but it never happened. He decided to stay in the college realm and become the head coach at Northwestern instead. Most people think that was a great decision and that it was the best call he could have made. And now he’s been the head coach at Northwestern for almost a decade and the team is one of the best in the Big Ten conference.
For Pat, this is his legacy. It’s not playing in the NFL, but rather leading a successful college team. And I think it’s something that he, and we, as Northwestern fans, can be proud of. He showed us that no matter what our circumstances are, if we put in the work and have faith, we can turn our dreams to reality. That’s Pat Fitz.