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Regular Session, 2011
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 194
BY REPRESENTATIVE NOWLIN AND SENATOR LONG
COMMENDATIONS: Commends the inductees and honorees at the 2011 Induction
Celebration of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON1
To commend the inductees and honorees at the 2011 Induction Celebration of the Louisiana2
Sports Hall of Fame.3
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame has honored the elite figures in state4
sports history since 1958; and5
WHEREAS, inductees are chosen after extensive deliberations by an expert panel6
of Louisiana Sports Writers Association members from across the state who annually7
consider more than one hundred nominees for this honor; and8
WHEREAS, on Saturday, June 25, 2011, in Natchitoches, Louisiana, eight all-time9
greats are officially joining the ranks of Louisiana sports legends, and also being honored10
are two recipients of the Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism and two11
recipients of the Dave Dixon Sports Leadership award; and12
WHEREAS, the 2011 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame inductees are Morten Andersen,13
Kyla Hall Holas, Thomas Pinckney "Skipper" Heard, Vaughan Johnson, Buford Jordan, Don14
Shows, Todd Walker, and Donald "Slick" Watts; and15
WHEREAS, Morten Andersen, known as "Great Dane", made six Pro Bowl16
appearances in thirteen seasons with the New Orleans Saints to highlight his amazing17
twenty-five-year pro career, one season shy of the NFL's all-time record of twenty-six; he18
made the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 1980s and the 1990s, and in his time with the19
Saints, he set numerous franchise records and still holds the club record for games played20
with one hundred ninety-six; and21 HLS 11RS-3244 ORIGINAL
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WHEREAS, Kyla Hall Holas, a three-time All-American and a pioneer of state1
collegiate softball, was a record-setting pitcher for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette2
and led the Ragin' Cajuns to their first Women's College World Series; in her four-year ULL3
career, she compiled the best career winning percentage in state history; she holds numerous4
ULL records, is now the successful head coach at the University of Houston, and is the first5
female softball player enshrined in the Hall of Fame; and6
WHEREAS, the late Thomas Pinckney "Skipper" Heard, Louisiana State University's7
second athletic director, reshaped the face of Tiger football by developing "Saturday Night8
in Tiger Stadium" and playing a major role in many other highly significant innovations at9
LSU, including when LSU became a charter member of the Southeastern Conference in10
1933, when the school became affiliated with WWL-AM radio, and two expansions of Tiger11
Stadium; without him, LSU football as it is known and loved by countless people around the12
world today simply would not exist; and13
WHEREAS, Vaughan Johnson was a four-time Pro Bowl pick as perhaps the14
hardest-hitting member of the Saints' famed "Dome Patrol" linebacking corps in the late15
1980s and early 1990s; he played eight seasons with the Saints, and for several of his16
seasons, he played a major role in the Saints having arguably the best defense in the NFL;17
and18
WHEREAS, Buford Jordan had a very successful four-year career at McNeese State19
University, and at the end of his college career, he was the state's all-time rushing king with20
four thousand one hundred six yards; he was a four-year All-Southland Conference pick for21
the Dallas Cowboys and played nine pro seasons total, including seven with the New Orleans22
Saints, helping the Saints to win sixty-nine games and post their first winning season, first23
playoff appearance, and first division title; and24
WHEREAS, Don Shows is one of the most winning and outstanding high school25
football coaches in the history of the state of Louisiana, having won seven state26
championships in the state's largest classification and built the program at West Monroe27
High School into a state powerhouse; as an offensive line coach, he also helped the Demons28
of Northwestern State University win the 1988 Southland Conference crown; he has been29
honored deservedly more than once as the state Coach of the Year; and30 HLS 11RS-3244 ORIGINAL
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WHEREAS, Todd Walker is already a member of the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame and1
College Baseball Hall of Fame and was named to the twenty-eight-person College World2
Series Legends Team; an infielder, he was one of the greatest hitters in Southeastern3
Conference history; selected in the first round of the 1994 draft by the Minnesota Twins, he4
played mostly second base for seven major league teams for twelve seasons; and5
WHEREAS, Donald "Slick" Watts, a National Association of Intercollegiate6
Athletics All-American at Xavier University and a first-team NBA All-Defensive selection,7
was a dynamic pro guard who made the Seattle SuperSonics' Fortieth Anniversary Team in8
2007; he was the first Xavier player inducted into the Louisiana Association of Basketball9
Coaches Hall of Fame and won the NBA's J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for10
exemplary community service; and11
WHEREAS, the 2011 recipients of the Distinguished Service Award in Sports12
Journalism are Ron Brocato and Larry Hymel; and13
WHEREAS, Ron Brocato, a New Orleans native and winner of multiple awards for14
his coverage, is regarded as the preeminent historian on high school sports in the New15
Orleans area and is one of the foremost experts on prep sports in Louisiana; his sports16
coverage has gone far beyond prep sports during his six decades in the field, all but one year17
in Louisiana and almost the entire time in New Orleans; and18
WHEREAS, Larry Hymel, the first full-time sports information director for19
Southeastern Louisiana University, has won numerous awards for his sportswriting, and he20
remains active and integral with the university's alumni association, coordinating relations21
and activities with former Lions and Lady Lions; and22
WHEREAS, the 2011 recipients of the Dave Dixon Sports Leadership Award are23
Elmo Adolph and Billy Montgomery; and24
WHEREAS, Elmo Adolph, the only man to officiate both a professional world25
championship bout and an Olympic gold medal boxing match, had an amazing career as both26
a professional and amateur referee from 1964 until 2005; he also officiated Louisiana High27
School Athletic Association football games for nearly thirty years, including state title games28
in the Superdome Classic, was the game clock operator for the NBA's New Orleans Jazz in29 HLS 11RS-3244 ORIGINAL
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the 1970s when the team played in the Superdome, and is still involved in prep officiating1
by teaching and training officials in the River Parishes Football Association; and2
WHEREAS, former longtime state representative Billy Montgomery, one of the most3
legendary high school basketball coaches in state history, is still dedicated to public service4
through his work for the Bossier Parish Police Jury, was named "Mr. Louisiana Basketball"5
in 2009 by the Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches, and had the Haughton High6
School basketball court named in his honor; and7
WHEREAS, the 2011 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame inductees, the recipients of the8
Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism, and the recipients of the Dave Dixon9
Sports Leadership Award merit a sincere measure of commendation and recognition for their10
extraordinary accomplishments.11
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby12
commend and congratulate the inductees and honorees at the 2011 Induction Celebration of13
the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame: Morten Andersen, Kyla Hall Holas, Thomas Pinckney14
"Skipper" Heard, Vaughan Johnson, Buford Jordan, Don Shows, Todd Walker, and Donald15
"Slick" Watts as inductees; Ron Brocato and Larry Hymel as recipients of the Distinguished16
Service Award in Sports Journalism; and Elmo Adolph and Billy Montgomery as recipients17
of the Dave Dixon Sports Leadership Award.18
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby19
recognize and record for posterity the unique and notable achievements of each of these20
outstanding individuals and does hereby extend enduring appreciation for the tremendous21
pride and honor that these individuals have brought to their families, friends, communities,22
and state.23
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted24
to each inductee and honoree at the 2011 Induction Celebration of the Louisiana Sports Hall25
of Fame.26 HLS 11RS-3244 ORIGINAL
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DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
Nowlin HCR No. 194
Commends the inductees and honorees at the 2011 Induction Celebration of the La. Sports
Hall of Fame: Morten Andersen, Kyla Hall Holas, Thomas Pinckney "Skipper" Heard,
Vaughan Johnson, Buford Jordan, Don Shows, Todd Walker, and Donald "Slick" Watts as
inductees; Ron Brocato and Larry Hymel as recipients of the Distinguished Service Award
in Sports Journalism; and Elmo Adolph and Billy Montgomery as recipients of the Dave
Dixon Sports Leadership Award.