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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Robert Griffin III was named the winner of the 2011 |
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Heisman Trophy after leading the Baylor University football team to |
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one of its best seasons in a quarter-century; and |
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WHEREAS, The son of Robert and Jacqueline Griffin, Robert Lee |
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Griffin III was raised in Copperas Cove, where he was a standout |
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high school athlete in football and in track; opting to attend |
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Baylor, he enrolled in the spring of 2008 and immediately proved his |
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athletic abilities by earning All-America honors in outdoor track |
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during his first semester at the university; in the fall, he was the |
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starting quarterback for 11 of 12 games as an 18-year-old freshman; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, After suffering a knee injury during the 2009 |
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season, Mr. Griffin returned in 2010, rested and ready; that year, |
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he set or tied 11 single-season school records, threw for more than |
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3,500 yards and 22 touchdowns, and helped Baylor to attain its first |
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bowl-game appearance in more than a decade and a half; in |
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recognition of his performance, he was named to the All-Big 12 team |
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and won the league's Offensive Player of the Year and Comeback |
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Player of the Year awards; and |
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WHEREAS, Suiting up as a fourth-year junior in 2011, he began |
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by leading Baylor to an opening-game victory against defending Rose |
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Bowl champion Texas Christian University and then secured key |
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conference wins against Iowa State, Missouri, and Kansas; on |
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November 19, in a game that made Baylor history, he threw a |
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last-second, 34-yard touchdown pass that enabled the Bears to |
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defeat Oklahoma for the first time ever, and the team ended the |
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regular season with triumphs against Texas Tech and Texas; in the |
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Alamo Bowl, this respected athlete closed out his award-winning |
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year on a high note as he and his teammates knocked off Washington |
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67-56 in the highest-scoring bowl game in history; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Griffin is renowned for his speed, accuracy, and |
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ability to throw the ball deep; during 2011, he completed 72 percent |
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of his passes for nearly 4,300 yards and 37 touchdowns and rushed |
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for 699 yards and 10 TDs; and |
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WHEREAS, In addition to his success on the gridiron, Mr. |
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Griffin excelled in his academic studies at the university, earning |
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a degree in political science in 2010 and going on to pursue a |
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master's degree in communications; and |
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WHEREAS, By winning one of the most important trophies in |
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American college sports and sparking the resurgence of the Baylor |
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football program, Robert Griffin furthered the Lone Star State's |
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exceptional tradition of athletic achievement, and his |
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accomplishments will be remembered for years to come; 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 Robert Griffin III on winning the |
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2011 Heisman Trophy and extend to him sincere best wishes for the |
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future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Griffin as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |