By Keel H.R. No. 13
76R2812 WMS-D
R E S O L U T I O N
1-1 WHEREAS, Ricky Williams of The University of Texas at Austin
1-2 has claimed college football's highest accolade, the Heisman
1-3 Trophy, and this well-deserved honor is truly an appropriate
1-4 capstone to his phenomenal career as a running back for the Texas
1-5 Longhorns; and
1-6 WHEREAS, A highly regarded prep star from San Diego,
1-7 Mr. Williams chose to attend The University of Texas at Austin and
1-8 was dubbed "Little Earl" for his similarity to the Longhorn's
1-9 previous Heisman Trophy winner, Earl Campbell; and
1-10 WHEREAS, During his freshman and sophomore seasons, he shared
1-11 the rushing duties for the Longhorns with talented teammates Shon
1-12 Mitchell and Priest Holmes; nonetheless, Mr. Williams's astonishing
1-13 combination of speed, quickness, strength, and field awareness drew
1-14 acclaim from football aficionados across the nation; and
1-15 WHEREAS, Mr. Williams became the centerpiece of the Texas
1-16 offensive attack in his junior campaign and led Division 1-A in
1-17 both scoring and yards rushing for the 1997 season and was tabbed
1-18 as Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year; and
1-19 WHEREAS, In addition, Mr. Williams also won the Doak Walker
1-20 Award in 1997, and after the ceremony he developed a deep
1-21 friendship with Mr. Walker, a former Heisman Trophy winner from
1-22 Southern Methodist University, who passed away early in the 1998
1-23 season; as a tribute to his friend, Ricky Williams wore Walker's
1-24 collegiate jersey number "37" during the 1998 Texas-Oklahoma game
2-1 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, which is known as "the House That
2-2 Doak Built"; and
2-3 WHEREAS, Forgoing the certainty of a multimillion dollar
2-4 contract with the NFL, he returned for his senior season with the
2-5 Longhorns with the lofty goals of becoming the leading career
2-6 rusher in Division 1-A history and winning the Heisman Trophy; and
2-7 WHEREAS, Mr. Williams pursued Tony Dorsett's rushing record
2-8 throughout the course of the 1998 campaign, and in the season
2-9 finale against arch-rival Texas A&M University, he became the
2-10 Division 1-A career rushing leader on an electrifying 60-yard
2-11 touchdown run in the first quarter and led Texas to a thrilling
2-12 26-24 victory; and
2-13 WHEREAS, In recognition of his achievements, which include 16
2-14 NCAA records and 41 University of Texas records, Mr. Williams
2-15 received virtually every accolade a collegiate running back can be
2-16 awarded at the end of his senior season, including his second
2-17 consecutive Doak Walker Award; and
2-18 WHEREAS, On December 12, 1998, at the Downtown Athletic Club
2-19 in New York City, Ricky Williams joined the most elite fraternity
2-20 in college football when he was named the 1998 Heisman Trophy
2-21 Winner, becoming only the second Texas Longhorn ever to win that
2-22 coveted trophy; and
2-23 WHEREAS, Ricky Williams's achievements on the field have been
2-24 balanced by his determination to be a positive force in the
2-25 community, as well as a role model for youth across the state and
2-26 nation, and he has succeeded admirably in those roles; and
2-27 WHEREAS, He has been supported in all his endeavors by his
3-1 devoted mother, Sandy, and by his sisters Cassie and Rebecca, and
3-2 the entire family takes tremendous pride in his athletic exploits;
3-3 and
3-4 WHEREAS, Ricky Williams's myriad accomplishments during the
3-5 course of his stellar four-year career with The University of
3-6 Texas, both on and off the field of play, have earned him
3-7 legendary status in the pantheon of Longhorn football heroes and
3-8 established standards to which all student athletes can aspire, and
3-9 it is truly appropriate that he be honored at this time; now,
3-10 therefore, be it
3-11 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas
3-12 Legislature hereby congratulate Ricky Williams for his
3-13 extraordinary athletic achievements, including setting the all-time
3-14 NCAA Division 1-A career rushing record and winning the 1998
3-15 Heisman Trophy, and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued
3-16 success in the future; and, be it further
3-17 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
3-18 prepared for Mr. Williams as an expression of highest regard by the
3-19 Texas House of Representatives.