R E S O L U T I O N

 1-1           WHEREAS, February 3, 1997, marks the 21st birthday of Brian

 1-2     Rashad Hodge, and to his family and many close friends, this event

 1-3     is truly a joyous occasion; and

 1-4           WHEREAS, The beloved son of State Representative Terri Hodge,

 1-5     he was born in Dallas on February 3, 1976, and from an early age

 1-6     exhibited the warm and friendly personality that he continues to

 1-7     display today; and

 1-8           WHEREAS, At the tender age of three, young Brian was enrolled

 1-9     in National Child Care, a day care center carefully selected by his

1-10     mother; it was quickly determined, however, that young Brian was

1-11     not quite ready for the big leagues when, after three tearful days

1-12     for both mother and son, he was returned to home care for an

1-13     additional six-month period; and

1-14           WHEREAS, In April 1979, he returned to preschool, attending

1-15     Christ Lutheran Day Care until entering Our Redeemer Lutheran

1-16     School, which he would attend through the eighth grade;  and

1-17           WHEREAS, It was during his years in elementary school that

1-18     Brian first made the acquaintance of Aaron, Keith, Johnathan, and

1-19     Michael, a number of whom remain in his circle of friends today; he

1-20     also began to play in the school band and to become involved in

1-21     sports, playing basketball and soccer; and

1-22           WHEREAS, A soccer enthusiast from the age of five, Brian

1-23     played on many teams as a child, including the Jaguars, Titans,

1-24     Richardson Select, and the Storm '76, and he will no doubt long

 2-1     remember the exciting moment when he kicked the winning goal in a

 2-2     team shootout to advance the Storm '76 to the next round of play in

 2-3     a tournament; and

 2-4           WHEREAS, He idolized both "Pele" and Carlos Antonio Pecorari,

 2-5     known to many Dallas Sidekicks fans as "Tatu"; Tatu would later

 2-6     become a mentor to Brian, enabling him to serve as a ball boy for

 2-7     the Sidekicks when he was 10 years old; and

 2-8           WHEREAS, After completing his early education at Our

 2-9     Redeemer, Brian went on to attend Lutheran High School of Dallas,

2-10     and in that setting he continued to build on his earlier

2-11     experiences, becoming a member of the school's small band as well

2-12     as a standout soccer player for the Lutheran High Wildcats during

2-13     the period that the team earned several consecutive state

2-14     championships; and

2-15           WHEREAS, Popular among his peers, Brian made many new friends

2-16     in high school, including Allan Wilkerson, who had a car, and

2-17     Jeremy Quast, perhaps his most adventurous new pal; unbeknownst to

2-18     the boys' parents, Allan had been teaching Brian how to drive and,

2-19     on one occasion, when Brian decided to show Jeremy what he had

2-20     learned, the two boys set off in an adventure that would end with

2-21     Brian accidentally totalling Allan's car and breaking Jeremy's arm

2-22     in the process; and

2-23           WHEREAS, Despite this little mishap, Brian's popularity

2-24     remained intact and he was voted "Mr. Student Body" his junior

2-25     year; this fine young man is a good student as well and after

2-26     graduating from high school in 1994, he began his higher education

2-27     at Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he is a junior

 3-1     majoring in political science on a pre-law track and plays soccer

 3-2     for the Centenary Gents; and

 3-3           WHEREAS, For 21 years, Brian Rashad Hodge has earned a

 3-4     special place in the hearts of all who know him, and it is fitting

 3-5     that he receive special recognition as he marks this significant

 3-6     milestone in his life; now, therefore, be it

 3-7           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas

 3-8     Legislature hereby congratulate Brian Rashad Hodge on the momentous

 3-9     occasion of his 21st birthday and extend to him sincere best wishes

3-10     for continued success and happiness in the years to come; and, be

3-11     it further

3-12           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

3-13     prepared for Mr. Hodge as an expression of high regard by the Texas

3-14     House of Representatives.

                                                                       Hodge

                                             _______________________________

                                                   Speaker of the House

               I certify that H.R. No. 72 was adopted by the House on March

         20, 1997, by a non-record vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House