Northwestern’s football coach has earned the sport’s highest honor.

Pat Fitzgerald, who has starred for the Wildcats as both player and coach, was named as one of 15 inductees into the College Football Hall of Fame, the National Football Foundation announced Thursday.

Fitzgerald, who was one of 75 finalists for the prestigious distinction, will be the 15th Cat in the Hall of Fame.

“I was blown away,” Fitzgerald said. “Just to be a finalist is a honor, and then to have the phone call from (NFF President & CEO) Steve Hatchell come in today was borderline surreal.”

A two-time All-American, Fitzgerald won back-to-back Bronco Nagurski and Chuck Bednarik awards (honoring college football’s top defensive player) in 1995 and 1996. He led NU to at least a share of the Big Ten title in both seasons and was a leader on the 1995 team that went to the Rose Bowl.

NU’s coach for the past two seasons, Fitzgerald will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Dec. 9, 2008, at the Foundation’s annual awards dinner.