Every time Northwestern senior safety Robert Fitzgerald steps on a football field is a testament to his life and what he wants to achieve for those who have supported him. When his father died of ALS a year before he started his college career, Fitzgerald knew that every game, every play would be for his father. Most importantly, though, it would be for him and his team as well. Fitzgerald has seen a lot of snaps and been a part of some incredible games, but he wants to taste more success with this squad.
When all is said and done, Fitzgerald may go down as one of the best defensive leaders in Northwestern history. Not only did he lead the Big Ten in tackles last year with 115, but he is also a first-team academic All-American, proving that leadership
carries over off the field. His success on it is secondary. Still, Fitzgerald is someone the Nittany Lionswill always have to keep an eye on no matter what due to his high IQ on the field and his ability to make the right play.
Fitzgerald has already proven to be the emotional heartbeat for this Wildcats defense, and the results have shown themselves on the field. Not only is he their leading tackler to start the season, but the Wildcats are a 3-1 football team, with their only loss coming to the 6th-ranked Indiana Hoosiers in a game that was closer than expected. This may finally be the time that Robert Fitzgerald gets not only the individual credit he deserves, but also the team success as well. Starting with Penn State, Northwestern has been down this road before. In their upset of the Nittany Lions last year, Fitzgerald had 5 tackles.
With Penn State coming off another shocking loss starkly similar to last year's, Fitzgerald now has all the tools to be the leader of yet another surprise.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Northwestern's Robert Fitzgerald a leader both on and off the field
