US Senate Resolution 352

by Kay Bailey Hutchison

Commending the University of Texas at Austin Longhorns football team for winning the 2005 Bowl Championship Series national championship.

Whereas the Longhorns won the BCS national championship game, defeating the University of Southern California by a score of 41-38 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on January 4, 2006;

Whereas the Longhorns have now won four football national titles;

Whereas this historic victory—the 800th win in school history—marks the culmination of an undefeated, 13-0 season;

Whereas, by scoring 652 points during their undefeated season, the Longhorns set an NCAA record for points scored in a single season;

Whereas the University of Texas now owns the longest-active winning streak in the Nation at 20 games;

Whereas, under the leadership of Coach Mack Brown, the Longhorns claimed the Big 12 Conference South Division title, won the Big 12 Conference championship, and earned their eighth consecutive bowl game berth;

Whereas the Longhorns boast seven All-Americans, including Will Allen, Justin Blalock, Aaron Harris, Michael Huff, Jonathan Scott, Rodrique Wright, and Vince Young;

Whereas quarterback Vince Young—a Heisman Trophy finalist, recipient of the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, and the Maxwell Award winner—was named the Most Valuable Player of the Rose Bowl;

Whereas, Vince Young scored three touchdowns and gained 467 total yards in the championship game, and he became the first player in NCAA history to rush for more than 1,000 yards and pass for more than 3,000 in the same season;

Whereas the Longhorns were captained by Ahmard Hall, David Thomas, Rodrique Wright, and Vince Young at the Rose Bowl;

Whereas Ahmard Hall, the male 2005 Big 12 Sportsperson of the Year, served his country as a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps for four years—serving tours in Kosovo and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan—prior to joining the team as a walk-on in 2003 and ultimately rising to the position of starting fullback and team captain;

Whereas the entire Longhorns team should be commended for its inspirational work, determination, and success;

Whereas the University of Texas at Austin has a long tradition of athletic and academic excellence; and

Whereas the Longhorns have brought great honor to themselves, their university, and the great State of Texas: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate—

1. commends the University of Texas at Austin Longhorns football team for winning the 2005 Bowl Championship Series national championship;
2. congratulates the team for completing an undefeated, 13-0 season; and
3. directs the Secretary of the Senate to make available to the University of Texas at Austin an enrolled copy of this resolution for appropriate display.