Bill Text: TX HR1074 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: In memory of pro football legend and Trinity native Ollie Matson.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2011-04-25 - Reported enrolled [HR1074 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HR1074-Enrolled.html
H.R. No. 1074 |
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WHEREAS, The life of one of professional football's greatest | ||
players of the 1950s drew to a close with the passing of Ollie | ||
Matson on February 19, 2011, at the age of 80; and | ||
WHEREAS, Ollie Genoa Matson II was born in Trinity on May 1, | ||
1930; when he was 14, his family moved to San Francisco, where he | ||
graduated from George Washington High School; after initially | ||
studying at City College of San Francisco, he enrolled at the | ||
University of San Francisco and played on the Dons football team | ||
while earning a bachelor's degree in history; and | ||
WHEREAS, With his speed and size, Mr. Matson quickly proved | ||
himself a player of rare ability who excelled as both a running back | ||
and a defensive back; sadly, he often found himself battling racism | ||
and segregation as a result of being one of only two African | ||
Americans on the integrated University of San Francisco team; in a | ||
1949 incident, the University of Tulsa made an unsuccessful attempt | ||
to prevent USF's black players from appearing in a game, and when | ||
Mr. Matson took the field that day, he was subjected to illegal hits | ||
and had each of his three touchdowns nullified by penalties; and | ||
WHEREAS, In 1951, his senior season, Mr. Matson led the | ||
nation in rushing and touchdowns and was named an all-American; the | ||
Dons established a perfect 9-0 record and should have attracted | ||
attention from the major bowl games, but the Orange, Sugar, and | ||
Gator Bowl committees would not consider inviting an integrated | ||
team; when the USF coach asked the team if they wanted to remove | ||
from the roster Mr. Matson and Burl Toler, their other African | ||
American player, in order to gain an invitation to the Orange Bowl, | ||
the players steadfastly refused, and the Dons did not play in a bowl | ||
contest; and | ||
WHEREAS, A versatile athlete, Mr. Matson competed in the | ||
United States Olympic trials in 1948 and earned a place on the U.S. | ||
team in 1952; he took part in the Summer Games in Helsinki that | ||
year, winning a bronze medal in the 400-meter dash and a silver in | ||
the 400-meter relay; and | ||
WHEREAS, The Chicago Cardinals chose Mr. Matson with the | ||
third pick in the 1952 National Football League draft, and he | ||
embarked on a stellar professional career that spanned 15 seasons, | ||
with a year off for service in the U.S. Army in 1953; he was | ||
co-Rookie of the Year in 1952, was named to the Pro Bowl six times, | ||
and was a first-team all-pro selection five times; he ranked second | ||
in career all-purpose yards at the time of his retirement and set a | ||
record for touchdown runbacks on kicks and punts; such was his | ||
reputation that the Los Angeles Rams traded eight players and a | ||
draft choice to the Cardinals in 1959 in order to bring him to their | ||
team; and | ||
WHEREAS, Mr. Matson also played for the Detroit Lions and | ||
Philadelphia Eagles before retiring in 1966; he was elected to the | ||
Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972 and the National Football | ||
Foundation College Hall of Fame in 1976; after his playing career | ||
ended, he taught physical education and coached football at Los | ||
Angeles High School; he went on to serve as the running backs coach | ||
for San Diego State University and as a scout for the Eagles, and he | ||
spent more than a decade as the special events supervisor at the Los | ||
Angeles Memorial Coliseum; and | ||
WHEREAS, An exceptional competitor who persevered in the face | ||
of adversity, Ollie Matson earned a place among the legendary | ||
figures of the NFL, and his achievements will be remembered and | ||
celebrated long into the future; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas | ||
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Ollie Matson and | ||
extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his | ||
daughters, Lisa Lewis and Barbara King; to his sons, Ollie and Bruce | ||
Matson; to his eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; to | ||
his sister, Ocie Thompson; and to his other relatives, friends, and | ||
many fans; 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 adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Ollie | ||
Matson. | ||
Dutton | ||
______________________________ | ||
Speaker of the House | ||
I certify that H.R. No. 1074 was unanimously adopted by a | ||
rising vote of the House on April 14, 2011. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||