Date: 2010-12-14
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. its my pleasure to rise on the floor of the House and congratulate the Texas Southern University Fighting Tigers. who won the SWAC competition in Birmingham. Alabama. against Alabama State. Congratulations to Coach Cole. the athletic director. President John Rudley. the Board of Regents. but most of all. our outstanding football players. who are vested in character and integrity and doing the right thing. Let me thank all the students. the band. all of those who came to cheer. I had the great privilege of being there in Birmingham. Alabama. to support this great team. They celebrated today at city hall with the mayor and the community. and we look forward to a greater understanding of who Texas Southern University is. a great institution. vested in the history of this country. educating young people. And now we can call them the Fighting Tigers. the 2010 winners of the SWAC championship. Fighting Tigers. congratulations to all of you. Madam Speaker. I stand before you today to recognize and to congratulate the Texas Southern University. TSU. Tigers for bringing home the Southwestern Atlantic Conference. SWAC. Championship to my district in Houston. Texas. In a display of great sportsmanship and great endurance. the Tigers defeated the Alabama State Hornets on December 11. and became conference champions for the first time in 42 years. I would like to congratulate the Tigers athletic association. their football team. and. of course. Coach Johnnie Cole on a momentous finale to a tremendous season. As a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. it is truly an honor to recognize Texas Southern University not only for their conference championship. but also for their academic successes as one of the nations largest Historically Black Colleges and Universities. HBCU. Additionally. TSU contributes to the multiculturalism that makes Houston the diverse city it is today. by hosting a number of international students. Texas Southern University. which is located in the heart of metropolitan Houston. proudly serves students of diverse socioeconomic. cultural. racial and ethnic backgrounds. Moreover. Texas Southern University is poised towards a greater tomorrowits academic programs are designed to encourage and develop Americas future model citizens. The fighting Tigers of TSU dominated defensively throughout the December 11th game against the Alabama State Hornets at Legion Field. With the final and. winning score of 116. the Tigers were able to rejoice in the reclamation of the SWAC Championship. the teams first since 1968but this time it is theirs alone. Guided by Coach Cole. and led by Dejuan Fulghum. Defensive MVP of the Championship game. and Riko Smalls. Offensive MVP of the Championship game. the fighting Tigers were able to bring home the SWAC championship. Coach Johnnie Cole achieved many successes in his tenure at Texas Southern University. By transforming and revitalizing the Tigers football team. he truly has brought football back to TSU. Coach Cole has had a long history with TSU. ever since he played on losing TSU football teams in the 1980s. Though. this year. Coach Cole turned a new leaf for TSU. by coaching an astoundingly successful and triumphant football team all the way to the SWAC championship. Since joining the football leadership team in 2008. Coach Cole has ignored the defeatist mentality and has a renewed focus on reigniting the school spirit for the TSU Fighting Tigers. This year. they finished the season on an eight game winning streak. and Cole bringing TSU the first Conference Championship since 1968 was "icing on the cake." I would like to congratulate Coach Johnnie Cole on his recent award for the Southwestern Atlantic Conferences Coach of the Year. his success represents the future of TSU. It truly was a great combinationwith Coach Johnnie Cole. athletic director Charles McClelland. a supportive and spirited student body. and finally a hardworking and motivated football teamthat led the fighting Tigers to a great year of dignity. sportsmanship. and success. Madam Speaker. I would like to take a few moments to recognize the Most Valuable Players from the 2010 Southwestern Atlantic Conference Championship game. I believe that they exhibited the great athleticism and leadership that paved the way for the Tigers Championship on December 11. Firstly. I would like to acknowledge Dejuan Fulghum. the SWACs Defensive Player of the Year. and the Championship Games Most Valuable Defensive Player. Dejuan Fulghum is a senior linebacker. who has had a tremendous career with the TSU Tigers. He led the Southwestern Atlantic Conference in sacks. with nine this year. and was third in tackles. with 91. Furthermore. he recorded an interception and two forced fumbles that led to the Football Championship Subdivision designating TSU as the number two defensive team. The Championship Games Most Valuable Offensive Player. Riko Smalls. a sophomore quarterback. was called to the field on last Saturday. when senior quarterback Arvell Nelson was unable to play. Riko Smalls helped place TSU in the best position for winning the Championship. and rose to his role as a leader on the field. Riko Smalls first start with the TSU Tigers. in arguably their most important game. demonstrates the growing capabilities of the Texas Southern Tigers and of the TSU coaching staff. The entire team was well prepared to succeed that day and I congratulate all the Texas Southern Tigers. and. I would like to commemorate the success of their football team. which can now claim the title of the best college football team in Houston. In representing the eighteenth district of Texas. I am proud to commemorate the fighting Tigers of TSU for their athletic success. and moreover. to commemorate the greater TSU community for their scholastic drive and dedication to becoming champions on and off the field.