By Dukes H.R. No. 34 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, 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 an appropriate capstone to 1-4 his phenomenal career as a running back for the Texas Longhorns, 1-5 although his off-the-field efforts have proven equally important in 1-6 defining this caring and generous individual; and 1-7 WHEREAS, During his freshman and sophomore seasons, 1-8 Mr. Williams shared the rushing duties for the Longhorns with 1-9 talented teammates Shon Mitchell and Priest Holmes; nonetheless, 1-10 his astonishing combination of speed, quickness, strength, and 1-11 field awareness drew acclaim from football afficionados across the 1-12 nation; and 1-13 WHEREAS, Mr. Williams became the centerpiece of the Texas 1-14 offensive attack in his junior campaign and led Division 1-A in 1-15 both scoring and yards rushing for the 1997 season and was tabbed 1-16 as Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year; and 1-17 WHEREAS, Mr. Williams also won the Doak Walker Award in 1-18 1997, and after the ceremony he developed a deep friendship with 1-19 Mr. Walker, a former Heisman Trophy winner from Southern Methodist 1-20 University, who passed away early in the 1998 season; as a tribute 1-21 to his friend, Ricky Williams wore Walker's collegiate jersey 2-1 number "37" during the 1998 Texas-Oklahoma game at the Cotton Bowl 2-2 in Dallas, which is known as "the House That Doak Built"; and 2-3 WHEREAS, Forgoing the certainty of a multimillion dollar 2-4 contract with the NFL, Ricky returned for his senior season with 2-5 the 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 archrival 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; his remarkable collegiate career was punctuated when 2-13 the Longhorns rolled over Mississippi State in the Cotton Bowl 2-14 38-11, behind his two touchdowns, 203 rushing yards, and 45 2-15 receiving yards; and 2-16 WHEREAS, Off the football field, actions truly speak louder 2-17 than words for the soft-spoken Mr. Williams, who has visited 2-18 children's hospitals around the country during his four-year 2-19 college career and dreams of one day becoming a teacher; indeed, it 2-20 has sometimes been difficult to tell which he has enjoyed more, 2-21 sharing time with ill or at-risk youngsters or breaking tackles and 2-22 galloping into the end zone to extend his NCAA touchdown record; 2-23 and 2-24 WHEREAS, Whether he is mentoring students at Campbell 2-25 Elementary School or playing touch football with neighborhood kids, 3-1 Ricky seeks to set a positive example for all children, 3-2 particularly minority and underprivileged youths; he revels in his 3-3 role as a father figure and works hard to make himself available to 3-4 the public and to use his undeniable influence to effect 3-5 affirmative change; and 3-6 WHEREAS, In recognition of his achievements, which include 16 3-7 NCAA records and 41 University of Texas records, Mr. Williams 3-8 received virtually every accolade a collegiate running back can be 3-9 awarded at the end of his senior season, including his second 3-10 consecutive Doak Walker Award and the Maxwell Award; in addition, 3-11 he was named Player of the Year by the Associated Press, The 3-12 Sporting News, and the Walter Camp Foundation, and was the Football 3-13 News Offensive Player of the Year; and 3-14 WHEREAS, On December 12, 1998, at the Downtown Athletic Club 3-15 in New York City, Ricky Williams joined the elite fraternity in 3-16 college football when he was named the 1998 Heisman Trophy Winner, 3-17 becoming only the second Texas Longhorn ever to win that coveted 3-18 trophy; and 3-19 WHEREAS, This reluctant superstar has accepted his celebrity 3-20 status, but he remains at heart a family man, devoted to his 3-21 mother, Sandy, and his sisters, Cassandra and Rebecca, and the 3-22 entire family takes tremendous pride in his athletic exploits and 3-23 his active community service; and 3-24 WHEREAS, In this day and age, athletes with Ricky Williams's 3-25 combination of skill and moral fiber are a breath of fresh air, and 4-1 this unique individual is most deserving of the many awards and 4-2 accolades that he has received; he is the source of much enjoyment 4-3 and enthusiasm among his legion of fans, and it is quite a 4-4 testament to his character that he has accomplished so much while 4-5 staying true to himself and his ideals; and 4-6 WHEREAS, Ricky Williams's myriad accomplishments during the 4-7 course of his stellar four-year career with The University of Texas 4-8 at Austin, both on and off the field of play, have earned him 4-9 legendary status in the pantheon of Longhorn football heroes and 4-10 established standards to which all student athletes can aspire; 4-11 now, therefore, be it 4-12 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas 4-13 Legislature hereby congratulate Ricky Williams for his 4-14 extraordinary athletic achievements, including setting the all-time 4-15 NCAA Division 1-A career rushing, touchdown, and all-purpose 4-16 yardage records, and winning the 1998 Heisman Trophy; and, be it 4-17 further 4-18 RESOLVED, That the house also pay tribute to Mr. Williams for 4-19 his exemplary service to the Austin community, to the Lone Star 4-20 State, and to citizens across the country and commend him for 4-21 embracing his status as a role model; and, be it further 4-22 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 4-23 prepared for Mr. Williams as an expression of highest regard by the 4-24 Texas House of Representatives.