'Cat Facts #1: Pat Fitzgerald

**On this new series, I will give a bullet point list of facts, stats, etc. about a former Wildcat player or coach. I don't have a specific time frame yet, so don't count on a routine schedule for these**

For the first edition of 'Cat facts, I decided to focus on a Northwestern legend. Fitzgerald is the face of Northwestern athletics and has brought more success to the football program than anyone could have imagined.

•  Fitzgerald is from Orland Park, which is only about an hour drive from Evanston
• As a linebacker at Northwestern, Fitzgerald was a two-time winner of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Chuck Bedinarik Award, both of which are awarded to the best defensive player in the country.
• Fitzgerald never played a down in the NFL. He was signed as an Undrafted Free Agent by the Dallas Cowboys, but was cut before his rookie season began. 
• Fitzgerald became the head coach in 2006 after Randy Walker passed away. At the time, he was the youngest head coach in Division 1 college football.
• Probably the stat that most effectively shows how much Fitzgerald has meant to Northwestern football is the fact that Northwestern has participated in 13 bowl games and Fitzgerald has been involved in 11 of them (as a player, assistant coach, or head coach).