at VFMA, combined with his time at Pitt, was the minimum three years removed from high school to make him eligible for the draft. Although former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett was suing the NFL at the time to overturn the rule (a case Clarett initially won, but it was later overturned on appeal), the NFL considered Fitzgerald's case separate from Clarett's. After his tremendous sophomore year, Fitzgerald was drafted third overall in the 2004 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals, whose then coach, Dennis Green, knew Fitzgerald from his time as a Vikings ball boy. He was the first wide receiver to be selected in the 2004 NFL Draft. In addition, he was the first of six Pitt Panthers to be selected that year. 2004 season: Rookie year Fitzgerald made his NFL debut against the St. Louis Rams in the season opener on September 12. In the 17–10 loss, he had four receptions for 70 yards. In the fifth game of the season on October 10, he had his first career touchdown reception, a 24-yard pass from Josh McCown, against the San Francisco 49ers. On December 19, against the St. Louis Rams, Fitzgerald became the youngest player at 21 years and 110 days, to record at least two touchdown receptions in a single game. His record has since been broken by Aaron Hernandez of the New England Patriots in 2010 and Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014. He followed up his historic performance in the next game in Week 16 against the Seattle Seahawks, in which he had four receptions for 70 yards and two touchdowns in the 24–21 loss. Fitzgerald finished his rookie year with 59 receptions for 780 yards and eight touchdowns as the Cardinals missed the playoffs with a 6–10 record. 2005 season Fitzgerald started his second NFL season catching 13 receptions for a former career-high 155 yards and a touchdown in a 42–19 loss to the New York Giants in the season opener on September 11. Fitzgerald's season was strong throughout, finding the endzone in ten separate games and totaling seven games with over 100 receiving yards. Fitzgerald and the Cardinals missed the playoffs with a 6–10 record. In 2005, Fitzgerald led the NFL with 103 receptions for 1,409 yards, which ranked fourth in the NFL, and ten touchdowns, which ranked fifth in the NFL. He was named to his first