by TM Petaccia

While this past NFL draft wasn’t what Florida State placekicker Ryan Fitzgerald was hoping for, these days, life for the Carolina Panthers’ placekicker, one might say, is high on the hog. Signed as an undrafted free agent in May, he won the role as starter during preseason and three games into the regular season, he is a perfect five-for-five on extra points and five-for-five on field goals, including the second-longest field goal in franchise history, a 57-yarder against Atlanta this past Sunday.

Not only is Fitzgerald making his mark on the field, he’s setting a high standard off the field as well. The Georgia native has teamed up with Mac’s Speed Shop to launch a pair of food specials that blend his love of barbecue with his drive to give back to the community.

Fitz’s Big-Kick Brisket Sandwich is a half-pound of slow-cooked brisket on a toasted bun with a side for $25. The Ryan Fitzgerald Give Back Pack is a tailgate spread stacked with pork, brisket, collards, beans, slaw, and other accoutrements for $95. Throughout the NFL season, 10 percent of sales from both items at all nine area Mac’s Speed Shop locations will be donated to Promise Youth Development, a Charlotte nonprofit providing mentorship and safe spaces for at-risk youth.

“My parents spent so much time and effort into driving me to practices, to kicking camps, and to colleges on visits, and several high school coaches were just pouring into me and making an impact on my life,” Fitzgerald says. “Being able to give back to the community just made sense.”

The partnership started unexpectedly. “As soon as I got here, The New York Times interviewed me and asked me how I was liking Charlotte so far,” Fitzgerald says. “I said I love Mac’s and their barbecue. Someone at Mac’s saw the article and reached out to me, thanked me for it, and then the idea of a partnership came up.”

For Fitzgerald, the choice of charity — Promise Youth Development — was personal. “I wanted to focus my attention on the youth,” he says. “Promise Youth Development provides a safe space for them. They bring in therapists, they bring in cops, and just so many different resources to help propel these kids to a better life.”

It’s a natural a Fitzgerald collaboration would include barbecue. He fondly remembers family cookouts at his great-grandfather’s house in Georgia with “30 or 40 family members all together once a month.” Aside from Mac’s Speed Shop, he and his girlfriend have begun to explore the city’s restaurants, specifically citing Little Mama’s, Supperland, Steak 48, and even Cook Out. His personal staples? “Definitely lasagna, steak, and barbecue,” he says. “Those are my main foods.”

The rookie admits he’s still adjusting to NFL life, but says he’s surrounded by the right people. “I have two long-time specialists in the room with me,” he says. “Our punter, Sam Martin, he’s in year 13. Long snapper JJ Jansen, he’s been here for 18 years. That’s been a huge help. I’m still learning. Three games into my rookie year, there’s still a lot to learn. JJ says all the time, ‘there’s always more you can pick up.'”

Between football, food, and giving back, Fitzgerald says Charlotte already feels like home. “Out of all 32 NFL teams, being here is great,” he says. “My kicking coach is here, I’ve trained here before, and I love the organization. They’re all great people.”

But conversation always comes back to giving back. “With our platform in football, you have to use it to do some good and inspire the youth,” Fitzgerald says. “In the same way so many of us were inspired when we were younger and had so much support, I want to pay it forward. While I’m in this league, I want to give back. I feel like I owe something to do that.”

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