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Regular Session, 2013
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 156
BY REPRESENTATIVE JEFFERSON
A RESOLUTION
To commend Head Coach Doug Williams upon the twenty-fifth anniversary of his selection
as the first black quarterback to be named Most Valuable Player of a Super Bowl
game and to recognize his many contributions to the Grambling State University
football program.
WHEREAS, Doug Williams graduated from Grambling State University in 1978 and
first became the head coach of the football team in 1997; and
WHEREAS, his accomplishments and contributions in the realm of football began
in the early 1970s, as a star quarterback for Cheneyville High School in his native town of
Zachary, Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Williams was named Black College Player of the Year twice and
was once fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting during his undergraduate career at Grambling
State; and
WHEREAS, in 1977, Mr. Williams led the nation in touchdown passes with thirty-
eight and in passing yards with 3,286; and
WHEREAS, Doug Williams' career at Grambling was marked by many firsts: he was
the first player from a predominantly black school to be chosen as a First Team
All-American, the first player from a predominantly black school ever to be selected as a
consensus All-American quarterback, and the first quarterback from a predominantly black
school ever to be selected in the first round of the National Football League draft, going to
the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the seventeenth selection overall; and
WHEREAS, in Coach Williams' professional football career, he played for the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Washington Redskins of the National Football League and
for the Oklahoma Outlaws of the United States Football League; and ENROLLEDHR NO. 156
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WHEREAS, one of the most notable achievements of Coach Williams' career was
becoming the first black quarterback to start in and win a Super Bowl; in Super Bowl XXII,
he led his Washington Redskins to a 42-10 victory over the Denver Broncos; and
WHEREAS, Coach Williams became the first black quarterback to ever be named
the Most Valuable Player of a Super Bowl game; and
WHEREAS, in 1997, Coach Williams returned to Grambling as head football coach,
succeeding the legendary Eddie Robinson; his team went 10-2 in 2000 and 11-1 in 2001and
won the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Championship both years; and
WHEREAS, Coach Williams rejoined the Buccaneers as a personnel executive, and
in 2009, he was promoted to the director of professional scouting; on June 21, 2010, it was
announced that he would become General Manager of the Norfolk expansion franchise in
the United Football League; and
WHEREAS, in 2011, Coach Williams returned for his second stint as the head
football coach at Grambling, and under his leadership, the Tigers won the State Farm Bayou
Classic, the SWAC Western Division, and the SWAC Championship for the 2011 season;
and
WHEREAS, though Coach Williams is perhaps best known for his accomplishments
on the field, his contributions off the field also are notable, including his work in providing
scholarships for high school students through the Doug Williams Foundation, service on the
Louisiana governor's council to combat drug and alcohol abuse, and his active work with
youth and charitable groups; and
WHEREAS, his charitable work has earned him numerous awards, including being
named Washingtonian of the Year and receiving the Generous Hearts Award and the Boys
Club Congressional Award; and
WHEREAS, Doug Williams, a champion, a natural leader, a trailblazer, and the head
football coach of his beloved Grambling State Tigers, has defied the odds and has fulfilled
not only his dreams but those of many others; and
WHEREAS, Coach Williams is being honored by the Grambling University National
Alumni Association (GUNNA) Ruston Chapter at its annual gala on June 8, 2013.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby commend Doug Williams for his many contributions ENROLLEDHR NO. 156
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to the Grambling State University football program, to his fellow citizens, and to the state
of Louisiana, does hereby recognize and record for posterity the special place he has in the
annals of Louisiana history, and does hereby commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of
his selection as the first black quarterback to be named Most Valuable Player of a Super
Bowl game.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
to Doug Williams.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES