"It is a real big honor to be inducted into the hall of fame," said FitzSimmons. "It is very exciting. It is crazy though because I was just a small part of the big things that were going on at Carroll College."

"Casey FitzSimmons is without a doubt one of the greatest football players in Carroll College history. He is also one of the classiest guys as well," Mike Van Diest,  Frontier Conference Coach of the Year said .  "Casey came in with the freshman class of 1999, our first recruiting class and built the foundation for the success we are achieving today."
 
Casey finished his college career with 244 receptions for 2,698 yards and 21 touchdowns. In 2000 and 2001, he earned second-team NAIA All-American honors. He was a first-team all-conference selection all four seasons at Carroll College. He led the Fighting Saints to the 2002 NAIA national championship with a 28-7 win over the two-time defending NAIA champion Georgetown. 

During his senior championship run Casey earned first-team All-American honors and was named the Frontier Conference MVP. He was also a finalist for the NAIA Player of the Year Award while catching 79 passes for 971 yards and six touchdowns.
 
Casey felt that there were many people involved in him achieving this honor. "I would like to thank Coach Mike Van Diest, Coach Howlett and Coach Hogan for all they have done. I would also like to thank the players who worked beside me at Carroll College. This award was a culmination of a huge team effort." 

Casey would go on to say that "Being disciplined along with understanding the game, understanding team concepts, and understanding what is acceptable were some of the many things that I was able to learn from Coach Van Diest and his staff at Carroll.  Mike and his staff helped me mature from a kid to man. Coach Van Diest and his staff do a great job of that."
 
The Hall of Fame induction is the Association's highest honor. The tribute recognizes those who exemplify the highest ideals of intercollegiate athletics and fine moral character.