If you were to take a poll on Penguin football from a group that has been around for all 53 intercollegiate grid campaigns and asked them who they considered one of the hardest hitting linebackers to ever roam the field of play, then Greg Fitzpatrick's name would arguably be placed at the top of the list.
Born on March 29, 1957 in Stamford, Conn., he graduated from Marysville (OH) High School in 1975 and began his collegiate career at YSU when his coach, Bill Narduzzi, began his collegiate head coaching career in time for the 1975 season.
In fact, it was Narduzzi's influence on the recruiting trail that prompted Fitzpatrick to pick Youngstown state to further his academic/athletic careers. At 6'3" and 225 lbs, Fitzpatrick, pound for pound might have been the toughest competitor that the Penguins put on the field during his collegiate career.
As a freshman, he saw valuable action and collegiate game rather admirably as the team posted a 5-4-0 overall mark, 4-1 on their home turf.
As a sophomore, Fitzpatrick had moved into the starting line up and pilfered two enemy passes (25 yards) among his 63 tackles (42 solos), the Guins posting a 4-6-0 mark as Narduzzi's squad began to lay the foundation of future teams that would rise to the top of the Division II ranks by the end of the decade.
As a junior in 1977, Fitzpatrick helped the Penguins to a 7-3-0 overall slate, narrowly missing the division II play-offs. The hunger of not making it to post season play made his senior season all the more important. In 1977 as a junior, Fitzpatrick registered 100 total tackles (42 solos) which was second on the team only to Ron Pentz's 101. He also had one fumble recovery and 15 tackles for loss, the latter fourth best on the team that season. In 1978, as the captain of the team Fitzpatrick helped the penguins to a 10-2-0 overall mark including a seven game win streak to start the season, the Guins posted a perfect 5-0-0 mark in their first season of mid continent conference play to win the league championship.
Fitzpatrick was named to the MCC first team at linebacker and captured 'defensive back of the year' laurels. He also earned Associated Press All-America honors as he registered 105 total tackles (60 solos which was tops on the team), again second best on the team, this time to Bob Lombardi's 115 hits. He also had three pass interceptions (27 yards) and eight tackles for loss. His four year totals include 350 career tackles and six interceptions while helping the penguins to a 27-15-0 overall ledger as his four-year career set the groundwork of things to come in 1979 when Narduzzi's penguins would be runners up in Division II, losing in the Zia Bowl in Albuquerque, N.M., to Delaware.
Upon completion of his football career, Fitzpatrick was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys on May 16, 1979, only to be released by Head Coach Tom Landry on August 29, of that same season as the team paired down the final roster to start the 1979 season.
He signed with the Chicago Bears on Jan. 28, 1980, again making it to the final cut before being released on August 25, in a roster move to complete the regular season roster. He then signed with the Los Angeles Raiders on May 5, 1983, being release on August 1, the same year.
Fitzpatrick moved to San Diego, Calif., in August 1983, and has been on the west coast ever since. From 1984 to 1988, he worked for Pacific Bell telephone. Since 1988, he has worked for national car rental, moving cars around the state. Also from 1985, he has been a licensed tractor/trailer driver.
Fitzpatrick currently lives in the ocean beach community of San Diego where he enjoys water color painting, attending sporting events and brewing home made beers.
