Bill Text: TX HCR28 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: In memory of Don Meredith, former SMU and Dallas Cowboys quarterback and longtime sportscaster.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)
Status: (Passed) 2011-03-24 - Signed by the Governor [HCR28 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HCR28-Enrolled.html
H.C.R. No. 28 |
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WHEREAS, The life of a Texas football icon and American | ||
sportscasting legend drew to a close with the passing of Don | ||
Meredith on December 5, 2010, at the age of 72; and | ||
WHEREAS, Joseph Donald Meredith was born in Mount Vernon on | ||
April 10, 1938, to Jeff and Hazel Meredith; while a student at Mount | ||
Vernon High School, he was an all-state football and basketball | ||
player and president of his senior class; he went on to attend | ||
Southern Methodist University and was the Mustangs' starting | ||
quarterback from 1957 to 1959, gaining a national reputation for | ||
his outstanding performances; one highlight was the 1958 Battle for | ||
the Iron Skillet, in which he threw two touchdown passes and ran for | ||
another to lead SMU to a 20-13 victory over archrival Texas | ||
Christian University; in recognition of his accomplishments, he was | ||
named an All-American by the Football Writers Association of | ||
America in both 1958 and 1959; and | ||
WHEREAS, This skilled competitor was the first player signed | ||
to the newly created Dallas Cowboys expansion team that joined the | ||
National Football League in 1960; he would spend his entire | ||
nine-year NFL career with the Cowboys and had the rare distinction | ||
of having never played a home game outside of North Texas as a high | ||
school, college, and professional athlete; he took over as the | ||
team's starting quarterback in 1963 and helped lead Dallas to its | ||
early successes, including appearances in the NFL title game in | ||
both 1966 and 1967; he was named the Bert Bell NFL Player of the Year | ||
for 1966 and made the Pro Bowl three times; and | ||
WHEREAS, Retiring as a player at the end of the 1968 season, | ||
Mr. Meredith soon entered broadcasting as a member of the initial | ||
Monday Night Football announcing crew, debuting in 1970; his sense | ||
of humor, knowledge of the game, and relaxed attitude made him the | ||
perfect counterpoint for his co-hosts, the overly articulate Howard | ||
Cosell and the all-business former New York Giant Frank Gifford; | ||
the adversarial chemistry he developed with Mr. Cosell was | ||
especially popular, and Monday Night Football quickly became one of | ||
the highest rated shows on television, making "Dandy Don" Meredith | ||
into a celebrity who transcended sports; and | ||
WHEREAS, He left the show in 1974 to join NBC, and during the | ||
next few years he branched out into acting and hosting talk shows in | ||
addition to covering football; he returned to the Monday Night | ||
Football booth in 1977, staying until his retirement in 1985; | ||
through the years, he put his stamp on each game by serenading | ||
viewers with Willie Nelson's lyrics "turn out the lights, the | ||
party's over" whenever the outcome of a contest was no longer in | ||
doubt; and | ||
WHEREAS, There were many honors along the way for this | ||
charming and affable Texan; SMU gave him the university's | ||
Distinguished Alumni Award in 1983 and retired his No. 17 jersey in | ||
2008; he was elected to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and the | ||
College Football Hall of Fame, and the Cowboys added him to their | ||
prestigious Ring of Honor; his broadcast career also earned him | ||
accolades, including an Emmy Award for broadcasting excellence in | ||
1971 and the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award from the Pro | ||
Football Hall of Fame in 2007; and | ||
WHEREAS, Although his death has brought great sorrow to his | ||
loved ones and his numerous fans, Don Meredith leaves behind a | ||
legacy of excellence and good humor that will be treasured long into | ||
the future; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
hereby pay tribute to the life of Joseph Donald Meredith and extend | ||
sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, Susan; | ||
to his children, Mary Donna, Michael, and Heather; to his brother, | ||
Jack; and to his other relatives and many friends; and, be it | ||
further | ||
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of | ||
Representatives and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory of | ||
Don Meredith. | ||
Branch | ||
Cain | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I certify that H.C.R. No. 28 was unanimously adopted by a | ||
rising vote of the House on March 3, 2011. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
I certify that H.C.R. No. 28 was unanimously adopted by a | ||
rising vote of the Senate on March 15, 2011. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
APPROVED: __________________ | ||
Date | ||
__________________ | ||
Governor |