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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Texas A&M alumnus Dr. Steve O'Neal was inducted into |
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the American Football Kicking Hall of Fame on January 17, 2013; and |
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WHEREAS, The American Football Kicking Hall of Fame honors |
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professional, college, and high school players who have shown |
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remarkable accomplishments as placekickers or punters in American |
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football; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on February 4, 1946, in Hearne, Steve O'Neal |
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attended high school in that city before enrolling at Texas A&M |
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University, where for three consecutive years he lettered in |
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football and track; in 1967, he was the leading punter in the |
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Southwest Conference and earned All-Conference honors; the |
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following year, he was again selected for the All-SWC team and |
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garnered national recognition for his outstanding performance by |
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being named an All-American; moreover, his memorable play with the |
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Aggies was later honored with his selection as the punter for the |
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university's 1960s All-Decade Team; and |
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WHEREAS, Drafted by the New York Jets in 1969, he was playing |
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in just his second professional game when he lined up for a kick |
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while pinned deep in his own end zone; he launched the ball and |
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watched it travel 75 yards in the air before it hit the turf and |
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rolled, ultimately ending up on the opponent's one-yard line; the |
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kick broke the old NFL record set in 1931, and the total distance of |
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98 yards still stands as the longest punt in pro football history; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Over the course of his five-year professional |
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career, during which he played for the New Orleans Saints in |
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addition to the Jets, Steve O'Neal punted for more than 13,700 yards |
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while recording an average of 40.7 yards per kick; when his career |
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was cut short by a knee injury, he left the game and enrolled at the |
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University of Tennessee; he earned a degree in dentistry in 1974 and |
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returned to Texas to establish a practice; and |
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WHEREAS, With his notable success at the collegiate and |
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professional levels and his record-breaking performance as a rookie |
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in the National Football League, Steve O'Neal has contributed to |
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the Lone Star State's tradition of athletic excellence, and he is |
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indeed deserving of this lasting tribute to his achievements; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Steve O'Neal on his induction into |
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the American Football Kicking Hall of Fame and extend to him sincere |
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best wishes for continued happiness; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Dr. O'Neal as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |