Bill Text: CA AR13 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Resolution 13 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Relative to Tom Flores.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 53-16)

Status: (Passed) 2021-02-01 - Read. Adopted. (Page 240.). [AR13 Detail]

Download: California-2021-AR13-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

House Resolution

No. 13

Introduced by Assembly Members Eduardo Garcia, Arambula, and Santiago

January 25, 2021

Relative to Tom Flores.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

HR 13, as introduced, Eduardo Garcia.

WHEREAS, Tom Flores, age 83, has one of the most prolific records in National Football League (NFL) history as a quarterback and head coach, but has not yet been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame based in Canton, Ohio; and

WHEREAS, Tom Flores is a source of pride for Central Valley residents and his life story continues to be an inspiration about overcoming all odds; and

WHEREAS, Tom Flores was born on March 21, 1937, in Sanger, California to Mexican farmworker parents originally from Chihuahua, Mexico and graduated from Sanger Union High School; and

WHEREAS, Tom Flores played quarterback for two seasons for Fresno City College beginning in 1955 and served on the Student Council and as President of the Associated Men’s Students; and

WHEREAS, Tom Flores received an academic scholarship to the University of the Pacific, formerly College of the Pacific, and graduated in 1958. Despite being sixth ranked passer in the nation in 1956 and seventh ranked passer in 1957, after graduation he was unable to find a job as a professional player in the National Football League; and

WHEREAS, Tom Flores thereafter went to play for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League in 1958, but was cut that year; and

WHEREAS, Tom Flores returned to the Central Valley to play for the semi-pro football team the Bakersfield Spoilers in 1958; and

WHEREAS, Tom Flores made a second attempt to enter the NFL in 1959 for Washington, but was again unsuccessful; and

WHEREAS, In 1960, Tom Flores signed with the American Football League’s Oakland Raiders as a quarterback, becoming the first Latino quarterback in professional football, and was selected as an American Football League All-Star in 1966; and

WHEREAS, Tom Flores went on to play for the Buffalo Bills in 1967 and the Kansas City Chiefs in 1969. That season the Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl IV, played on January 11, 1970, beating the Minnesota Vikings by a score of 23 to 7; and

WHEREAS, In 1970, Tom Flores retired and was one of only 20 players who played in the AFL for its entire 10-year existence. His player numbers were 15, 16, and 12. He is the fifth leading passer in the AFL’s history, his passing yards record was 11,959, he had a passer rating of 67.6 percent; and

WHEREAS, Tom Flores was assistant coach for the Oakland Raiders starting in 1972. As assistant coach under head coach John Madden, Tom Flores was instrumental in guiding the Oakland Raiders to its Super Bowl XI victory in 1977, defeating the Minnesota Vikings by a score of 32 to 14; and

WHEREAS, Tom Flores was hired in 1979 as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders, becoming the first Latino head coach in professional football. He was head coach from 1979 to 1987; and

WHEREAS, Tom Flores led the Oakland Raiders as a wild-card playoff team to win Super Bowl XV in 1981 against the Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 27 to 10, the first Super Bowl win for any wild-card team; and

WHEREAS, After the Oakland Raiders moved to Los Angeles in 1982, Tom Flores led the Los Angeles Raiders to win Super Bowl XVIII in 1984 with a win over the Washington, D.C. football team by a score of 38 to 9; and

WHEREAS, In 1982, Tom Flores was named the American Football Conference Coach of the Year by the United Press International and the Football Writers’ Association; and

WHEREAS, Tom Flores was the head coach for the Seattle Seahawks from 1992 to 1994, and previously served as its president and general manager, the first Latino to hold such a position in the NFL; and

WHEREAS, Tom Flores served as radio announcer for Raiders Radio Network from 1997 to 2018; and

WHEREAS, Tom Flores won championships as a player with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1970, with the Oakland Raiders in 1977 as an assistant coach, and as the head coach for the Raiders in 1981 and 1984; and

WHEREAS, Tom Flores was the first minority head coach to win a Super Bowl, winning twice. His head coach records were 97-87 (.527) for the regular season, 8-3 (.727) for the post season, and 105-90 (.538) for his career; and

WHEREAS, Tom Flores and Mike Ditka are the only two people in the NFL history to win a Super Bowl as player, assistant coach, and head coach; and

WHEREAS, Of the 13 coaches in NFL history to win two or more championships, Tom Flores is one of only four who have not yet been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame along with George Seifert, Mike Shanahan, and Tom Coughlin; and

WHEREAS, Tom Flores was nominated as a finalist to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019 and 2020, but the Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach Committee ultimately declined to induct him; and

WHEREAS, Tom Flores has again been nominated as a finalist to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the Class of 2021; and

WHEREAS, The Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach Committee will be voting during the week of February 6, 2021, and Tom Flores must receive 80 percent of the votes from the 48-member panel to be inducted; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the Assembly urges the Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach Committee to induct the legendary NFL quarterback and head coach Tom Flores into its Pro Football Hall of Fame for the Class of 2021, an honor that is long overdue; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach Committee, to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and to the authors for appropriate distribution.