1-1                                     1
 1-2                         SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 1151
 1-3           WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to
 1-4     commend the establishment of the Doak Walker Memorial Fund at the
 1-5     Yampa Valley Community Foundation of Steamboat Springs, Colorado;
 1-6     and
 1-7           WHEREAS, Founded to honor the memory of Doak Walker, the
 1-8     1948 Heisman Trophy winner and a member of both the College
 1-9     Football Hall of Fame and the Professional Football Hall of
1-10     Fame, the primary purpose of the fund will be to recognize athletic
1-11     achievement and promote leadership through high school scholarships;
1-12     and
1-13           WHEREAS, The memorial fund will be the main recipient of money
1-14     raised through the Annual Walker-Lindquist Steamboat Invitational
1-15     Golf Tournament to be held this year on June 24 through 26, 1999;
1-16     and
1-17           WHEREAS, Ewell Doak Walker II was born on New Year's Day in
1-18     1927 in Highland Park, Texas, and he died in September, 1998, at
1-19     the age of 71; his father was a football coach and his mother was
1-20     a teacher, so Doak loved football from his earliest days; and
 2-1           WHEREAS, When he was grown, he was five feet, 11 inches tall
 2-2     and weighed 168 pounds; he made up in ability what he lacked in
 2-3     size and played football for Southern Methodist University; and
 2-4           WHEREAS, At Southern Methodist University from
 2-5     1945 through 1949, Doak led the Mustangs to the top of the
 2-6     Southwest Conference and captured the interest of the nation;
 2-7     when he was a college sophomore, he won the Maxwell Award, and
 2-8     when he was a junior, he won the Heisman Trophy; and
 2-9           WHEREAS, Doak Walker led the Mustangs to Southwest Conference
2-10     Championships and Cotton Bowl appearances in 1947 and 1948, and
2-11     Southern Methodist University moved its home football games to an
2-12     expanded Cotton Bowl; and
2-13           WHEREAS, Even though he had been drafted by the United States
2-14     Army in 1946, he earned his bachelor of science degree from
2-15     Southern Methodist University on schedule; and
2-16           WHEREAS, Deciding to play for the Detroit Lions, he led the
2-17     National Football League in scoring as a rookie; during his six
2-18     years with the Lions, he led the team to National Football League
2-19     championships in 1952 and 1953; he was chosen All-Pro four times;
2-20     and
2-21           WHEREAS, Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in
2-22     1956, Doak Walker was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in
2-23     1986; he left the Lions when he was 28 years old, saying that he had
 3-1     found a better paying job, and he moved to Denver; and
 3-2           WHEREAS, In 1968, Doak married Skeeter Werner, a former
 3-3     Olympic skier; they moved to Steamboat Springs, where they ran a
 3-4     business, had a family, and enjoyed skiing, traveling, and raising
 3-5     and riding horses; and
 3-6           WHEREAS, Doak Walker passed away in September, 1998, of
 3-7     complications from paralysis he sustained during a skiing accident
 3-8     in January, 1998; he is survived by his family:  his wife,
 3-9     Skeeter Werner Walker; his children, Laurie Hunt, Kris Wolcott,
3-10     Russell Walker, and Scott Walker; and his four grandchildren; now,
3-11     therefore, be it
3-12           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
3-13     76th Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the life and memory of
3-14     Doak Walker and commend the founding of the Doak Walker Memorial
3-15     Fund; and, be it further
3-16           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared as an
3-17     expression of the highest regard and esteem of the Texas Senate.
3-18                                                                Moncrief
3-19                                  ______________________________________
3-20                                          President of the Senate
3-21                                       I hereby certify that the above
3-22                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate
3-23                                  on May 27, 1999.
3-24                                  ______________________________________
3-25                                          Secretary of the Senate
3-26                                  ______________________________________
3-27                                           Member, Texas Senate