Northwestern University Athletics
Photo by: Mary Grace Grabill/Northwestern Athletics
‘He Inspires Me to Keep Going’: Why Robert Fitzgerald Never Takes a Play Off
11/18/2025 7:15:00 PM | Football
Robert Fitzgerald seemed to fly across Wrigley Field on Saturday.
As Northwestern forced three fourth-quarter turnovers against Michigan, the redshirt junior safety jumped an intermediate passing lane and snared his first interception of 2025. In a gutsy defensive performance, Fitzgerald posted a career-high 15 tackles, one tackle for loss and a pass breakup to go along with his takeaway.
Such a showcase in stat-sheet stuffing has swiftly settled into a norm for Fitzgerald, who carved out a starting safety role in the preseason and never looked back.
"Fitz is like an extension of the coaching staff on the field," Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach David Braun said. "He's playing with a clear mind. He's playing fast… There's no one in our program that reflects our values more than that young man."
For Braun, Fitzgerald pays no attention to individual accolades. Whenever he takes the field, Fitzgerald competes for a cause far greater than himself — honoring his late father's legacy.
Fitzgerald's father, Matthew Fitzgerald, was diagnosed with ALS during his son's senior year of high school. Just after Robert Fitzgerald reported to Evanston for fall camp as a first-year, Matthew Fitzgerald died on July 22, 2022.
"Seeing what he went through really changed my whole perspective on life," Fitzgerald said. "Every day is a blessing, and you have to maximize every single day, every opportunity to get better. That really motivated me to push myself to be the best possible version of myself in all aspects of life, so I can support my mom and sister."
Three years ago, Fitzgerald felt his head spinning as he navigated a new school, team and the commitments of Division I football amid a difficult grief process. Fitzgerald said he leaned on family, teammates and coaches for support in a character-defining period.
In a veteran defensive back room, Fitzgerald discovered just how much he had left to uncover about the sport.
"It's like learning a whole new language," Fitzgerald said. "You have to relearn the whole game of football from a college perspective. It's not just running around and seeing the ball like you do in high school."
Now, the redshirt junior plays an integral role in one of the conference's premier defensive units. In 10 starts, Fitzgerald has registered 92 tackles — including a Big Ten-best 55 solo tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups, a fumble recovery and an interception.
He's the first Wildcat defensive back to record these figures since Godwin Igwebuike did so in 2016. Fitzgerald said the defense as a whole has facilitated his individual success.
"We really love each other," Fitzgerald said. "We play for each other, and we leave it all out on the field."
***
Terrance Bullitt put Fitzgerald through a gauntlet during their first training session in 2020. Under the sweltering Texas sun, the former Texas Tech linebacker put his prospective client to the test with field work before they returned to Bullitt's indoor facility for weight and speed training.
"Just seeing how he moved, I knew he had a legit shot to play Power Five football," Bullitt said. "I wanted to test him to see if this was something he really wanted."
By the session's conclusion, Fitzgerald was exhausted. He said he'd never participated in such a grueling training session prior to that point.
"He ended up leaving, going home in just underwear, no t-shirt, no shorts," Bullitt said. "I was thinking, 'This kid's not gonna show back up.'"
To Bullitt's astonishment, Fitzgerald returned the following day. The safety said he was intent on taking his game to the Division I level and knew Bullitt could help him actualize that goal.
The duo's behind-the-scenes work laid the foundation for Fitzgerald to ascend to the highest levels of Texas high school football with Dallas Jesuit. There, Fitzgerald played three seasons of varsity football. During his junior and senior years, he played both ways, locking down the airwaves at safety and toting the rock at running back.
"He was always mentally and physically prepared to play, never missed a practice," Dallas Jesuit defensive coordinator Don Woods said. "Sometimes he would play 60 reps on defense and 30 reps on offense. He just knew what he had to do to be ready to play on Friday nights."
The three-time all-state honoree verbally committed to Northwestern on June 23, 2021, setting up a collegiate career just a stone's throw away from his father's high school alma mater of Loyola Academy in Wilmette.
But before he departed for the Big Ten, Fitzgerald left behind an enduring legacy at Dallas Jesuit. The all-around standout tallied 71 tackles, three interceptions, 1,061 scrimmage yards, 19 rushing touchdowns and a punt return score as a senior.
"Every kid that comes to Jesuit wants to [emulate] Robert Fitzgerald," Woods said. "He's one of the greatest players we've ever had. I've never seen a high school player take over a game like he could."
***
Special teams coordinator Paul Creighton knew he wouldn't have a player of Fitzgerald's caliber at his disposal for long in the 2024 season. For Creighton, coordinating special teams requires cognizance of a bitter reality. His unit's top performers play their way into starting offensive and defensive spots.
"On the field, he's the most intense, focused, organized just everything you want in a player," Creighton said. "Ultimate study habits, just an ultimate effort guy. If you point to a guy and say 'This is who, as a freshman coming in, I want you to operate like.' Fitz is the example to follow."
Still, Creighton maximized his finite time with Fitzgerald on special teams last season. He lined him up at gunner, where Fitzgerald's freak athleticism came to fruition.
The safety even tossed on a No. 46 jersey to help out on kickoff blocking while Joseph Himon II donned No. 6 on returns.
"I was thinking of the saying, 'How you do anything is how you do everything,'" Creighton said. "Fitz is the ultimate representation of that. How he does his laundry is probably at an elite level. It's just how he operates as a person. He has no problem, whether it's blocking for Joe Himon or being a guy that's getting a pick in the secondary. There's no job too big or small for Fitz."
Throughout his first three seasons at NU, Fitzgerald manned myriad roles. He and a bevy of current defensive starters made up a prolific kickoff coverage unit in 2023 that made takeaways and momentum-shifting plays its calling card.
On defense, Fitzgerald slotted in at linebacker, corner, nickel and safety as he looked to help the team by any means.
"That was one of the best things that could happen to me, playing in all different spots of the defense — wherever they needed me as a rotational piece or a backup," Fitzgerald said. "It's helping me this year because I know where the linebackers are going to fit. I know where the corner is going to fit off of me, so it just helps me play fast and without hesitation."
Although he embraced his utility-type role in 2024, Fitzgerald seized the opportunity to capture elevated responsibilities at safety during this past offseason.
Once a young contributor in a jam-packed secondary, Fitzgerald said his trust in the process put him in the position to thrive.
"My first three years here, the safety room was loaded with upperclassmen," Fitzgerald said. "We had fifth and sixth years who had a lot of experience playing ball. This offseason was the first time it was my spot to lose. I made up my mind. That wasn't going to happen, and I did everything I could to make sure I solidified my job in spring ball and camp."
***
Fitzgerald still wonders how he made it through fall camp as a true first-year.
"Looking back on it, just an 18-year-old coming into college, lost my dad during fall camp," Fitzgerald said, "I think back on it and I don't know how I got through all that. You just have to take it one day at a time and keep persevering. I'm proud of myself for doing that."
Fitzgerald's father had helped introduce him to the sport. He was a constant voice of encouragement in the stands throughout Fitzgerald's football career — and one of the defensive back's most ardent supporters.
"Losing my dad took a big hit on my confidence," Fitzgerald said. "He was always my No. 1 supporter, my No. 1 fan. He always believed I was the best player on the field. It took me a bit to regain that confidence."
The Dallas native pointed to his mother, Amy Fitzgerald, as a source of strength for her two children.
Fitzgerald said his mother is an infallible fixture in the Wildcat parents section, regardless of where gameday takes place.
"She's really been my rock through all of this," Fitzgerald said. "She's come to every single game since I was a freshman, whether it was a home or away game. She's really the best mom in the world, and I can't thank her enough."
For Fitzgerald, a major career inflection point arrived when Braun added associate head coach and safeties coach Harlon Barnett to the Northwestern staff ahead of the 2024 season.
In Barnett, Fitzgerald found a coach who'd played at the highest level and boasted decades of experience around the game.
"Coach Barnett made football really fun for me again," Fitzgerald said. "He's helped me out from a technique side of things, and he's brought my level of play through the roof. He's really increased my confidence over these past two years."
Barnett said he knew Fitzgerald was primed for a major breakthrough in 2025. As the two met in the offseason, Barnett told the safety he should've seen the field more as a redshirt sophomore.
Now, his time had arrived.
"Rob is a relentless competitor," Barnett said. "He's going to do anything and everything to get himself to the point where he can go and compete like he needs to. He's going to be one of the first guys in the building every single day. He's gonna take coaching and apply it and get every ounce of visibility out of what he can do."
***
Braun made an immediate impression with Fitzgerald when they met in winter 2023. The then-defensive coordinator struck Fitzgerald as a "special dude" from Day 1, and the safety fed off his coach's competitive fire.
With Fitzgerald growing more confident as a vocal leader, he and Braun have forged significant camaraderie this season.
"As my role has increased, we've just developed a special bond," Fitzgerald said. "We really trust each other. He trusts me to go out there and execute on Saturdays, and I love playing for the guy. He's a great man, great family man and a hell of a competitor. I couldn't ask for a better head coach."
Barnett, Braun and Creighton each lauded Fitzgerald's unquestionable work ethic. The redshirt junior sets the standard for his younger teammates in both preparation and execution, Barnett said.
Racking up stops in run defense is routine for Fitzgerald, whose teammates marvel at his tireless, every-down motor.
"I know what Rob can do and how he plays just shows the work he's been putting in since January," redshirt junior nickel Braden Turner said. "It's always great to have him on defense and great to have him on our side."
While he's accumulated his share of cuts and bruises requisite of impacting winning in Big Ten football, Fitzgerald has an uncanny understanding of what it takes to truly battle.
He learned countless lessons in toughness from his father.
"I remember my senior year of high school, whenever I was tired or feeling sorry for myself, I'd look up in those stands and think about what he was going through and how the pain or fatigue I was experiencing was nothing compared to what he was experiencing with his battle with ALS," Fitzgerald said. "I'm able to carry that with myself today. When times get tough, he inspires me to keep going."
As such, Fitzgerald doesn't have to look far for motivation when he's tired in crunch-time. It's why Fitzgerald dreams of delivering game-changing plays when they matter most.
"Adversity shows what kind of person you are," Fitzgerald said. "You can either let it destroy you, or you can let it motivate you and push you to become something better. This was probably the hardest thing I'll face in a long time. So, any obstacle that comes my way from here on out, I know I can handle it as long as I stay grounded."
When he lines up against Minnesota on Saturday, Fitzgerald knows his father will be watching.
As Northwestern forced three fourth-quarter turnovers against Michigan, the redshirt junior safety jumped an intermediate passing lane and snared his first interception of 2025. In a gutsy defensive performance, Fitzgerald posted a career-high 15 tackles, one tackle for loss and a pass breakup to go along with his takeaway.
Such a showcase in stat-sheet stuffing has swiftly settled into a norm for Fitzgerald, who carved out a starting safety role in the preseason and never looked back.
"Fitz is like an extension of the coaching staff on the field," Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach David Braun said. "He's playing with a clear mind. He's playing fast… There's no one in our program that reflects our values more than that young man."
For Braun, Fitzgerald pays no attention to individual accolades. Whenever he takes the field, Fitzgerald competes for a cause far greater than himself — honoring his late father's legacy.
Fitzgerald's father, Matthew Fitzgerald, was diagnosed with ALS during his son's senior year of high school. Just after Robert Fitzgerald reported to Evanston for fall camp as a first-year, Matthew Fitzgerald died on July 22, 2022.
"Seeing what he went through really changed my whole perspective on life," Fitzgerald said. "Every day is a blessing, and you have to maximize every single day, every opportunity to get better. That really motivated me to push myself to be the best possible version of myself in all aspects of life, so I can support my mom and sister."
Three years ago, Fitzgerald felt his head spinning as he navigated a new school, team and the commitments of Division I football amid a difficult grief process. Fitzgerald said he leaned on family, teammates and coaches for support in a character-defining period.
In a veteran defensive back room, Fitzgerald discovered just how much he had left to uncover about the sport.
"It's like learning a whole new language," Fitzgerald said. "You have to relearn the whole game of football from a college perspective. It's not just running around and seeing the ball like you do in high school."
Now, the redshirt junior plays an integral role in one of the conference's premier defensive units. In 10 starts, Fitzgerald has registered 92 tackles — including a Big Ten-best 55 solo tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups, a fumble recovery and an interception.
He's the first Wildcat defensive back to record these figures since Godwin Igwebuike did so in 2016. Fitzgerald said the defense as a whole has facilitated his individual success.
"We really love each other," Fitzgerald said. "We play for each other, and we leave it all out on the field."
***
Terrance Bullitt put Fitzgerald through a gauntlet during their first training session in 2020. Under the sweltering Texas sun, the former Texas Tech linebacker put his prospective client to the test with field work before they returned to Bullitt's indoor facility for weight and speed training.
"Just seeing how he moved, I knew he had a legit shot to play Power Five football," Bullitt said. "I wanted to test him to see if this was something he really wanted."
By the session's conclusion, Fitzgerald was exhausted. He said he'd never participated in such a grueling training session prior to that point.
"He ended up leaving, going home in just underwear, no t-shirt, no shorts," Bullitt said. "I was thinking, 'This kid's not gonna show back up.'"
To Bullitt's astonishment, Fitzgerald returned the following day. The safety said he was intent on taking his game to the Division I level and knew Bullitt could help him actualize that goal.
The duo's behind-the-scenes work laid the foundation for Fitzgerald to ascend to the highest levels of Texas high school football with Dallas Jesuit. There, Fitzgerald played three seasons of varsity football. During his junior and senior years, he played both ways, locking down the airwaves at safety and toting the rock at running back.
"He was always mentally and physically prepared to play, never missed a practice," Dallas Jesuit defensive coordinator Don Woods said. "Sometimes he would play 60 reps on defense and 30 reps on offense. He just knew what he had to do to be ready to play on Friday nights."
The three-time all-state honoree verbally committed to Northwestern on June 23, 2021, setting up a collegiate career just a stone's throw away from his father's high school alma mater of Loyola Academy in Wilmette.
But before he departed for the Big Ten, Fitzgerald left behind an enduring legacy at Dallas Jesuit. The all-around standout tallied 71 tackles, three interceptions, 1,061 scrimmage yards, 19 rushing touchdowns and a punt return score as a senior.
"Every kid that comes to Jesuit wants to [emulate] Robert Fitzgerald," Woods said. "He's one of the greatest players we've ever had. I've never seen a high school player take over a game like he could."
***
Special teams coordinator Paul Creighton knew he wouldn't have a player of Fitzgerald's caliber at his disposal for long in the 2024 season. For Creighton, coordinating special teams requires cognizance of a bitter reality. His unit's top performers play their way into starting offensive and defensive spots.
"On the field, he's the most intense, focused, organized just everything you want in a player," Creighton said. "Ultimate study habits, just an ultimate effort guy. If you point to a guy and say 'This is who, as a freshman coming in, I want you to operate like.' Fitz is the example to follow."
Still, Creighton maximized his finite time with Fitzgerald on special teams last season. He lined him up at gunner, where Fitzgerald's freak athleticism came to fruition.
The safety even tossed on a No. 46 jersey to help out on kickoff blocking while Joseph Himon II donned No. 6 on returns.
"I was thinking of the saying, 'How you do anything is how you do everything,'" Creighton said. "Fitz is the ultimate representation of that. How he does his laundry is probably at an elite level. It's just how he operates as a person. He has no problem, whether it's blocking for Joe Himon or being a guy that's getting a pick in the secondary. There's no job too big or small for Fitz."
Throughout his first three seasons at NU, Fitzgerald manned myriad roles. He and a bevy of current defensive starters made up a prolific kickoff coverage unit in 2023 that made takeaways and momentum-shifting plays its calling card.
On defense, Fitzgerald slotted in at linebacker, corner, nickel and safety as he looked to help the team by any means.
"That was one of the best things that could happen to me, playing in all different spots of the defense — wherever they needed me as a rotational piece or a backup," Fitzgerald said. "It's helping me this year because I know where the linebackers are going to fit. I know where the corner is going to fit off of me, so it just helps me play fast and without hesitation."
Although he embraced his utility-type role in 2024, Fitzgerald seized the opportunity to capture elevated responsibilities at safety during this past offseason.
Once a young contributor in a jam-packed secondary, Fitzgerald said his trust in the process put him in the position to thrive.
"My first three years here, the safety room was loaded with upperclassmen," Fitzgerald said. "We had fifth and sixth years who had a lot of experience playing ball. This offseason was the first time it was my spot to lose. I made up my mind. That wasn't going to happen, and I did everything I could to make sure I solidified my job in spring ball and camp."
***
Fitzgerald still wonders how he made it through fall camp as a true first-year.
"Looking back on it, just an 18-year-old coming into college, lost my dad during fall camp," Fitzgerald said, "I think back on it and I don't know how I got through all that. You just have to take it one day at a time and keep persevering. I'm proud of myself for doing that."
Fitzgerald's father had helped introduce him to the sport. He was a constant voice of encouragement in the stands throughout Fitzgerald's football career — and one of the defensive back's most ardent supporters.
"Losing my dad took a big hit on my confidence," Fitzgerald said. "He was always my No. 1 supporter, my No. 1 fan. He always believed I was the best player on the field. It took me a bit to regain that confidence."
The Dallas native pointed to his mother, Amy Fitzgerald, as a source of strength for her two children.
Fitzgerald said his mother is an infallible fixture in the Wildcat parents section, regardless of where gameday takes place.
"She's really been my rock through all of this," Fitzgerald said. "She's come to every single game since I was a freshman, whether it was a home or away game. She's really the best mom in the world, and I can't thank her enough."
For Fitzgerald, a major career inflection point arrived when Braun added associate head coach and safeties coach Harlon Barnett to the Northwestern staff ahead of the 2024 season.
In Barnett, Fitzgerald found a coach who'd played at the highest level and boasted decades of experience around the game.
"Coach Barnett made football really fun for me again," Fitzgerald said. "He's helped me out from a technique side of things, and he's brought my level of play through the roof. He's really increased my confidence over these past two years."
Barnett said he knew Fitzgerald was primed for a major breakthrough in 2025. As the two met in the offseason, Barnett told the safety he should've seen the field more as a redshirt sophomore.
Now, his time had arrived.
"Rob is a relentless competitor," Barnett said. "He's going to do anything and everything to get himself to the point where he can go and compete like he needs to. He's going to be one of the first guys in the building every single day. He's gonna take coaching and apply it and get every ounce of visibility out of what he can do."
***
Braun made an immediate impression with Fitzgerald when they met in winter 2023. The then-defensive coordinator struck Fitzgerald as a "special dude" from Day 1, and the safety fed off his coach's competitive fire.
With Fitzgerald growing more confident as a vocal leader, he and Braun have forged significant camaraderie this season.
"As my role has increased, we've just developed a special bond," Fitzgerald said. "We really trust each other. He trusts me to go out there and execute on Saturdays, and I love playing for the guy. He's a great man, great family man and a hell of a competitor. I couldn't ask for a better head coach."
Barnett, Braun and Creighton each lauded Fitzgerald's unquestionable work ethic. The redshirt junior sets the standard for his younger teammates in both preparation and execution, Barnett said.
Racking up stops in run defense is routine for Fitzgerald, whose teammates marvel at his tireless, every-down motor.
"I know what Rob can do and how he plays just shows the work he's been putting in since January," redshirt junior nickel Braden Turner said. "It's always great to have him on defense and great to have him on our side."
While he's accumulated his share of cuts and bruises requisite of impacting winning in Big Ten football, Fitzgerald has an uncanny understanding of what it takes to truly battle.
He learned countless lessons in toughness from his father.
"I remember my senior year of high school, whenever I was tired or feeling sorry for myself, I'd look up in those stands and think about what he was going through and how the pain or fatigue I was experiencing was nothing compared to what he was experiencing with his battle with ALS," Fitzgerald said. "I'm able to carry that with myself today. When times get tough, he inspires me to keep going."
As such, Fitzgerald doesn't have to look far for motivation when he's tired in crunch-time. It's why Fitzgerald dreams of delivering game-changing plays when they matter most.
"Adversity shows what kind of person you are," Fitzgerald said. "You can either let it destroy you, or you can let it motivate you and push you to become something better. This was probably the hardest thing I'll face in a long time. So, any obstacle that comes my way from here on out, I know I can handle it as long as I stay grounded."
When he lines up against Minnesota on Saturday, Fitzgerald knows his father will be watching.
Players Mentioned
Football - Minnesota Game Week Press Conference (11/17/25)
Monday, November 17
Football - Michigan Postgame Press Conference (11/15/25)
Sunday, November 16
Football - Wildcats Drop Wrigley Field Matchup to Wolverines (11/15/25)
Saturday, November 15
Football - Michigan Game Week Press Conference (11/10/25)
Monday, November 10
