Pat Fitzgerald (Football, 1993-96)
One of the most widely heralded players in NU history, Fitzgerald was a leader on NU's 1995 and 1996 Big Ten championship teams. He became the first player ever to win consecutive National Defensive Player of the Year awards, and earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year awards in both 1995 and 1996. Fitzgerald also earned a pair of first-team All-America awards and was named Big Ten Player of the Week four times during his career. He captained the 1996 team, which finished 9-3 and qualified for the 1997 Citrus Bowl. Fitzgerald led the Big Ten in tackles in 1995, and topped NU's tackle chart in 1996.
After serving as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Wildcats for five years (2001-06), Fitzgerald was appointed as Randy Walker's successor as head coach, following Walker's untimely death in June, 2006. At the time of his hire (July 7, 2006), Fitzgerald was Division I's youngest head football coach. In 2012, he led the `Cats to their first bowl game victory since their 1948 win in the Rose Bowl.
