By Hunter                                            H.R. No. HR222

         Line and page numbers may not match official copy.

         Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.

                                 R E S O L U T I O N

 1-1           WHEREAS, Gene Stallings has exemplified the best that can be

 1-2     found in the annals of football coaching history; and

 1-3           WHEREAS, His coaching career brought him accolades and honors

 1-4     few in the world of sports have achieved; and

 1-5           WHEREAS, Coach Stallings has demonstrated in countless ways

 1-6     that being a nationally known figure does not keep a man from being

 1-7     a hunble human being; and

 1-8           WHEREAS, He has epitomized all that a nurturing husband and

 1-9     father can be to his wife and children throughout a lifetime of

1-10     trials and triumphs; and

1-11           WHEREAS, This man of character, strength, and integrity has

1-12     brought hope and commitment to untold numbers of mentally disable

1-13     individuals and their families thorughout America, and

1-14           WHEREAS, He and his wife, Ruth Ann have lovingly cared for

1-15     their Down's Syndrome baby boy Johnny through throughout years of

1-16     growth and development and have shared that love and devotion with

1-17     the four lovely daughters, Anna Lee, Laurie, Jackie and Martha Kate

1-18     as well as their husbands, Dr. Tim Young, Dr. David Vanderpool,

1-19     John Chalk and Keith Gunn--ll graduates of Abilene Christian

1-20     University, and

1-21           WHEREAS, Gene and Johnny filmed a commercial for the United

 2-1     Way which was the most widely ever distributed by this national

 2-2     charity and received the greatest letter response the United Way

 2-3     has ever had; and

 2-4           WHEREAS, By Christian example, this man and his family have

 2-5     served to inspire and motivate not only some of the best athletes

 2-6     in the world but also innumerable people from all walks of life

 2-7     throughout the country; and

 2-8           WHEREAS, He is a devoted member of the Church of Christ and a

 2-9     dedicated member of the Board of Trustees of Abilene Christian

2-10     University, and

2-11           WHEREAS, With dignity and character he has accepted

2-12     disappointing defeats as well as many great moments of triumph in

2-13     college and professional sports; and

2-14           WHEREAS, Eugene Clifton Stallings, Jr., was born in Paris,

2-15     Ctexas on March 2, 1935, the son of Eugene Clifton Stallings, Sr.

2-16     and Nell Moye Stallings, earned All-District honors in football and

2-17     basketball at Paris High School and was selected to the All-State

2-18     second team; and

2-19           WHEREAS, He spent his college playing days under the

2-20     legendary Paul "Bear" Bryant at Texas A&M University, earned

2-21     All-Southwest Conference honors; was Tri-Captain of the 1956 squad

2-22     with Jack Pardee and Lloyd Hale and won the Southwest Conference

2-23     title; and

2-24           WHEREAS, After his playing days were over, Stallings became

2-25     Assistant Coach under Bear Bryant at the University of Alabama

 3-1     where between 1958 and 1964 the Tide went 60-11-5, won a pair of

 3-2     Southeastern Conference Championships and two National

 3-3     Championships; and

 3-4           WHEREAS, He returned to Texas A&M in 1965 as a 29 year old

 3-5     Head Coach, compiled a 27-45-1 record in seven seasons, won the

 3-6     Southwest Conference Championship in 1967 and closed out the season

 3-7     with seven consecutive wins; and

 3-8           WHEREAS, Coach Stallings moved into the professional ranks

 3-9     when he took a job with Tom Landry and the world-famous Dallas

3-10     Cowboys in 1972, remained on the staff for 14 story-book seasons,

3-11     saw Dallas win seven Division titles, three conference championshps

3-12     and the Super Bowl in 1978; and

3-13           WHEREAS, In 1986 he made his NFL head coaching debut with the

3-14     St. Louis Cardinals where the Cards led the NFC in total defensive

3-15     and ranked fourth overall in the NFL; and

3-16           WHEREAS, The Cardinals moved to Phoenix in 1988 and he

3-17     compiled a 23-34-1 record in one of the toughest divisions in the

3-18     NFC; and

3-19           WHEREAS, He took over the reins at the University of Alabama

3-20     on January 11, 1990 upon the recommendation of his mentor, Coach

3-21     Bryant, and won fourSoutheastern Conference West titles and the

3-22     National Championship in 1992, Coach Stallings resigned on November

3-23     23, 1996 immediately after winning one of the most exciting games

3-24     in the history of the Alabama-Auburn rivalry by a score of 24-23

3-25     and compiling a terrific 52-10-1 record at Alabama; and

 4-1           WHEREAS, Gene and Ruth Stallings were honored with the

 4-2     National Christian Service Award by Abilene Christian University in

 4-3     1994, helped found two institutions--Disability Resources, Inc. in

 4-4     Texas and Rainbow Omega in Alabama to provide comprehensive care

 4-5     for developmentally disabled persons and were named Family of the

 4-6     Year in 1991 by the Tuscaloosa Association of Retarded Citizens;

 4-7     and

 4-8           WHEREAS, A program in Alabama called RISE, which provides

 4-9     services for children with disabilities from birth to five years of

4-10     age, named their new facility in Tuscaloosa "The Stallings Center"

4-11     because of a million dollar gift given in his honor by a friend,

4-12     Pete Hannah; and

4-13           WHEREAS, Coach Stallings is widely known for his charitable

4-14     activities with golf tournaments, speaking tours, and other

4-15     activities in support of the mentally retarded and mentally disable

4-16     he has also received the 1982 National Boy's Club's Alumnus of the

4-17     Year Award and in 1983 the Dallas Father-of-the-Year Award; and

4-18           WHEREAS, He was elected to the Texas A&M Hall of Fame in 1982

4-19     and in 1992 was honored with "Coach of the Year" Awards by

4-20     Atlanta's 100% WRONG Club, the Pigskin Club of Washington, D.C.,

4-21     the Maxwell Football Club, the Washington Touchdown Club, the

4-22     Nashville Banner, Kodak, the Associated Press, ABC/Chevrolet, the

4-23     Birmingham News and Finalist-Football News as well as the Paul

4-24     Bryant and Walter Camp "Coach of the Year" Awards, and

4-25           WHEREAS, This gentle man and his lovely wife Ruth Ann are

 5-1     shining examples for people everywhere as they reach out to help in

 5-2     countless ways those who need their inspiration, and faith in God

 5-3     to overcome; therefore, be it

 5-4           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas

 5-5     Legislature hereby honor Coach Gene Stallings on the occasion of

 5-6     his retirement to his native state of Texas and extend to him and

 5-7     his wife Ruth Ann, and their children warmest best wishes for

 5-8     continued success and fulfillment in all of his future endeavors;

 5-9     and be it further,

5-10           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

5-11     prepared for Coach Stallings and his family as an expression of

5-12     highest regard by the Texas House of Representatives.