With the 109th pick in the 2021 #NFLDraft , the @Titans select @dezfitz8 !!!#GoCards pic.twitter.com/Rl0PzHCsmz
— Louisville Football (@UofLFootball) May 1, 2021
With the 109th pick in the NFL Draft, the Titans selected Dez Fitzpatrick!
LET’S GO!!!!#GoCards x #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/W9HH8Q5CDr
— Louisville Football (@UofLFootball) May 1, 2021
Over his career, Fitzpatrick epitomized resilience and perseverance, rising to the occasion whenever his number was called. The 6-foot-2 receiver came to Louisville as a top-300 four-star (247Sports) and immediately became a fan favorite. Regardless if the team was winning bowl games or struggling to a 2-10 record, Fitzpatrick was an unapologetic ambassador of not only the program, but the city as a whole. He leaves the Cardinals as a member of various record books at Louisville.
"You wanna get a bigger WR & he plays even bigger than that!"@dezfitz8 is Music City bound as the 109th pick in the #NFLDraft by the @Titans!
2021 NFL Draft April 29 – May 1 on NFLN#GoCards pic.twitter.com/7j4e3r9izb
— Louisville Athletics (@GoCards) May 1, 2021
Check out his highlight tape, where he sits on the Louisville leaderboards, and an exclusive interview with photographer and staff writer Jeff Nunn.
Exit Interview-Dez Fitzpatrick
Louisville Career Records:
Receiving yards: 2589 (6th all-time)
Receptions: 154 career (9th all time)
Touchdowns: 21 (T-5th All-time)
9 TD (2017) single season (T-7 all-time)
YPC: 16.8 (T-4th all-time)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – University of Louisville wide receiver Dez Fitzpatrick didn’t have to wait long to hear his name called during the third day of the NFL Draft as he was selected with the 109th overall pick in the fourth round by the Tennessee Titans on Saturday.
The native of Farmington Hills, Mich., was the fourth pick in the fourth round and the second UofL wideout selected in as many days. Fitzpatrick was selected with the 109th overall pick after a trade with the Panthers. The Titans received pick No. 109, and traded picks 126 (4th), 166 (5th) and 232 (7th) to the Panthers.
“I was super excited to get the call, and see the Nashville area code pop up (on my phone),” Fitzpatrick said. “The conversation with the coaches, I definitely felt wanted. I can’t wait to be a Titan. … I feel like I fit into what they are trying to do in Nashville. I am just so happy to be a Titan.”
Fitzpatrick is the ninth UofL wide receiver to be drafted in school history and it’s the second time in school history that a pair of receivers were selected in the same draft. Harry Douglas was a third-round selection and Mario Urrutua was a seventh-round pick in 2008.
Fitzpatrick became the 131st Cardinal to be selected in the professional draft, and gives the Cardinals 24 NFL draft picks since 2014.
Louisville wide receivers selected in the NFL Draft
Year Rd Pick Player Age Team2015 1 14 DeVante Parker 22 Miami Dolphins1986 2 34 Ernest Givins 22 Houston OilersThe 6-foot-2 wide receiver finished his four-year Louisville career with recorded 154 receptions (ninth all-time) for 2,589 yards (sixth all-time) and 21 touchdowns during his career at Louisville. He averaged 16.8 yards a reception for his career, and he also recorded 21 career touchdown catches, which was tied for fifth in school history. He finished his career tied for 10th with eight 100-yard receiving games.
In 2020, Fitzpatrick appeared in 11 games, finishing with 43 catches for 833 yards and three touchdowns. The senior caught four passes for 110 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown to open the season in a win over Western Kentucky and followed with seven passes for 74 yards in the loss to Miami in the next game. In a loss to Virginia Tech, Fitzpatrick caught five passes for 158 yards against Virginia Tech, including a career-long 82 yard touchdown reception. He also had his best career output at Boston College with 182 yards on eight catches, including a 69-yard score.
Fitzpatrick has been a big-time playmaker in recent years, averaging 19.8 yards per catch in 2020, and 18.1 yads per catch in 2019.
As a redshirt freshman in 2017, Fitzpatrick finished second on the team with 45 catches for 699 yards and a team-best nine touchdown catches, which equaled the school’s freshman record. He was named an all-ACC honorable mention that season after averaging 15.5 yards a receptions.
In his first collegiate game versus Purdue, Fitzpatrick caught four passes for 95 yards and a touchdown — his first collegiate touchdown was a 20-yard reception in the fourth quarter to put the Cards ahead 32-28. Fitzpatrick had career highs of 10 catches and 134 yards in a loss versus NC State. The 10 receptions tied Ibn Green’s freshman record, first set against North Carolina on Nov. 9, 1996 and the 134 receiving yards were the most by a freshman since 2005.
