Touchdown Grab Could Spark Wyoming’s Michael Fitzgerald

LARAMIE -- Amazing what a little pep talk will do.

Jay Sawvel last week pulled wideout Michael Fitzgerald aside during practice. The gist of the conversation, according to the second-year head coach, was this: We expect more. We need more. You're capable of more.

"I believe in you," Sawvel added.

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The 6-foot-6 graduate transfer from Central Missouri responded with a diving catch last Saturday in the corner of the south end zone inside War Memorial Stadium, a play reminiscent of the ones that became so common in the Allen-to-Gentry days in Laramie.

After hauling in the 35-yard touchdown toss, Fitzgerald immediately rose to his feet and began to celebrate, violently flexing his arms and stomping through the brown-and-gold paint.

He was metaphorically shaking the gorilla off his back.

"I was just ecstatic, really," the soft-spoken Fitzgerald said on Monday. "I couldn't hold it in, just knowing that, coming from D2, I finally proved myself. It was fun for me."

He also finally showed the staff who brought him here this offseason what he is capable of when the lights are on.

"He was just telling me to be more confident in myself, because we all know that I can contribute to the team and be an impact player," Fitzgerald said, referring to that midweek conversation with the boss. "He told me to carry myself like a starter."

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Fitzgerald's path to the prairie has been a tumultuous one.

After a standout career at Roswell High School in the Atlanta suburbs, he turned down a number of lower-tier programs and headed to UMass where he spent two uneventful seasons, catching three balls for a total of 35 yards.

Warrensburg, Mo., was the next destination. There, Fitzgerald showed glimpses of what made him a three-star prospect, snagging 55 balls for 835 yards and eight touchdowns in 22 games.

Five of those scores came last fall. So did 526 of those yards on just 32 receptions.

Sawvel and Co. were impressed by the size, speed and trajectory. That has translated to the FBS level, but until last week, was only happening behind closed doors in practice.

"I feel like Mike is a great weapon," Wyoming nickelback Desman Hearns said. "He's got great length and great speed, also. I guarded him in fall camp, and I'd say he has sneaky speed to him.

"I think we can expect to see him more."

That's the plan.

Sawvel said during his weekly press conference he hopes Fitzgerald will be the equivalent of a mid-season free-agent acquisition.

"I think he got a little bit down on himself as part of the season started to come into play," he added. "Like, down on himself that he could have been doing better, down on himself that he wasn't having a bigger role ... We all believe in him, but, like, it's time for him to look in the mirror and see who he is and go be that guy."

So far, so good.

"I definitely see more plays coming my way in the future," Fitzgerald said with a grin. "I'm ready to roll."

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