Bill Text: TX SR424 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: In memory of Willie Cager.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-04-17 - Reported enrolled [SR424 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SR424-Enrolled.html
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| In Memory | ||
| of | ||
| Willie Cager | ||
| WHEREAS, Residents of El Paso are mourning the loss of | ||
| Willie Cager, a beloved member of the historic Texas Western | ||
| University basketball team that won the 1966 national | ||
| championship, who passed away on March 19, 2023, at the age of | ||
| 80; and | ||
| WHEREAS, William Cager Jr. was born in the Bronx in New | ||
| York City on August 24, 1942; his playing career as a member of | ||
| the Texas Western basketball team began in 1964, and the | ||
| following year, he was part of the legendary Miners team that | ||
| became the first to win the NCAA title with five African American | ||
| players in the starting lineup; the team's 72-65 victory in the | ||
| championship game over an all-White squad from the University of | ||
| Kentucky is widely regarded as a key turning point in the racial | ||
| integration of the sport throughout the U.S., helping to usher in | ||
| a new era of collegiate athletics; the win capped an amazing | ||
| season for the Miners, who dropped just one contest on their way | ||
| to the title; four decades later, the story was made into a major | ||
| motion picture, Glory Road, and the team was inducted into the | ||
| Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007; and | ||
| WHEREAS, A skilled low-post player nicknamed "Scoops," | ||
| Mr. Cager was sidelined part way through the championship season | ||
| because of a heart murmur; though he returned to action, Texas | ||
| Western head coach Don Haskins was only able to play him in short | ||
| stints; he started the championship game and made an important | ||
| contribution, scoring eight points, grabbing six rebounds, and | ||
| making six of his seven free throws; he ultimately appeared in 77 | ||
| contests for the Miners, averaging 8.5 points and 5.3 rebounds | ||
| for his career; he was selected by the Baltimore Bullets in the | ||
| 1968 NBA Draft, though he never played professionally; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Mr. Cager made El Paso his permanent home, and he | ||
| became a notable figure in the community; he served as the | ||
| coordinator of the Ysleta Independent School District's | ||
| after-school basketball program and launched the Willie Cager | ||
| Foundation to raise money to build multipurpose athletic and | ||
| academic complexes for area youth; in 2017, he ran for mayor of El | ||
| Paso; throughout his life, he was a ubiquitous presence at Miners | ||
| home games, and in March of 2022, the Miner Athletic Club | ||
| launched an endowed basketball scholarship in his honor; he is | ||
| survived by his children, Kareem, Kenya, and Kendeea; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Renowned for his clutch play on the hardwood and | ||
| his enduring contributions to his adopted hometown, Willie Cager | ||
| etched his name in the history of college basketball, and his | ||
| legacy will resonate in the El Paso area for years to come; now, | ||
| therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th | ||
| Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the memory of Willie Cager and | ||
| extend heartfelt sympathy to his 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 Senate adjourns | ||
| this day, it do so in memory of Willie Cager. | ||
| Blanco | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| President of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that the | ||
| above Resolution was adopted by | ||
| the Senate on April 17, 2023, by a | ||
| rising vote. | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| Member, Texas Senate | ||
