HR34INTRODUCED Page 0 HR34 R9GQNNN-1 By Representatives Paramore, Blackshear, Lee, Brown, Smith, Clouse, Pringle, Lovvorn, Marques, Hammett, Rehm, Starnes, Stubbs, Almond, Baker, Bedsole, Bolton, Boyd, Bracy, Brinyark, Butler, Carns, Chestnut, Clarke, Collins, Colvin, Crawford, Daniels, Datcher, Drummond, DuBose, Easterbrook, Ellis, England, Ensler, Estes, Faulkner, Fidler, Fincher, Forte, Garrett, Gidley, Givan, Givens, Gray, Hall, Harbison, Harrison, Hassell, Hendrix, Hill, Holk-Jones, Hollis, Hulsey, Hurst, Ingram, Jackson, Jones, Kiel, Kirkland, Lamb, Lands, Lawrence, Ledbetter, Lipscomb, Lomax, McCampbell, McClammy, Mooney, Moore (M), Moore (P), Morris, Oliver, Paschal, Pettus, Rafferty, Reynolds, Rigsby, Robbins, Robertson, Ross, Sellers, Sells, Shaver, Shaw, Shedd, Shirey, Simpson, Sorrells, Stadthagen, Standridge, Stringer, Tillman, Travis, Treadaway, Underwood, Wadsworth, Warren, Whitt, Whorton, Wilcox, Wood (D), Wood (R), Woods, Yarbrough RFD: First Read: 06-Feb-25 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 R9GQNNN-1 02/05/2025 evp (L)evp 2025-528 Page 1 First Read: 06-Feb-25 HR____ COMMENDING LEGENDARY TROY UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL COACH, LARRY BLAKENEY, FOR BEING ENSHRINED INTO THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME, CLASS OF 2025. WHEREAS, with great pride and special pleasure, Troy University's winningest coach, Larry Blakeney, is highly commended and congratulated for being enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2025; the event will take place during the 37th National Football Foundation Awards Dinner; and WHEREAS, Birmingham, Alabama, native and former Auburn quarterback under Shug Jordan, Coach Larry Blakeney, is the all-time winningest coach in both Troy University (TROY) and Sun Belt Conference (SBC) history, holding a 20-win advantage over the next closest competitor; he now becomes the first-ever player or coach in TROY or SBC history to enter the College Football Hall of Fame; and WHEREAS, some of Coach Blakeney's career achievements include: a career record of 178-113-1, winning 61.1 percent of his games in his 24 seasons at TROY; guiding the Trojans to seven Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoff appearances in eight seasons; leading the Trojans to five bowl games and securing victories in 2006 and 2010; guiding TROY to eight conference championships, including three in the Southland Conference (SLC), before achieving an SBC 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 HR34 INTRODUCED Page 2 the Southland Conference (SLC), before achieving an SBC record of five consecutive titles from 2006-2010; and WHEREAS, Coach Blakeney led TROY'S transition from NCAA Division II to Division I in 1993 at the FCS level and further led the Trojans to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in 2002; he is one of only two coaches to lead a program from Division II to the FBS, a feat that earned him many accolades during its progression; he was named conference Coach of the Year twice each in the SLC and SBC and two-time American Football Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year; he has been inducted into the Wiregrass Sports Hall of Fame, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, and the inaugural class of the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame; now therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA, That Coach Larry Blakeney, a legend of the Troy University Football Program, is highly commended and congratulated for his well-earned and historic induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, and this resolution is offered to him with our highest regard and best wishes for continued health, happiness, and prosperity. 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48