82R12164 JBA-D
By: Dutton H.R. No. 1074
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The life of one of professional football's greatest
players of the 1950s drew to a close with the passing of Ollie
Matson on February 19, 2011, at the age of 80; and
WHEREAS, Ollie Genoa Matson II was born in Trinity on May 1,
1930; when he was 14, his family moved to San Francisco, where he
graduated from George Washington High School; after initially
studying at City College of San Francisco, he enrolled at the
University of San Francisco and played on the Dons football team
while earning a bachelor's degree in history; and
WHEREAS, With his speed and size, Mr. Matson quickly proved
himself a player of rare ability who excelled as both a running back
and a defensive back; sadly, he often found himself battling racism
and segregation as a result of being one of only two African
Americans on the integrated University of San Francisco team; in a
1949 incident, the University of Tulsa made an unsuccessful attempt
to prevent USF's black players from appearing in a game, and when
Mr. Matson took the field that day, he was subjected to illegal hits
and had each of his three touchdowns nullified by penalties; and
WHEREAS, In 1951, his senior season, Mr. Matson led the
nation in rushing and touchdowns and was named an all-American; the
Dons established a perfect 9-0 record and should have attracted
attention from the major bowl games, but the Orange, Sugar, and
Gator Bowl committees would not consider inviting an integrated
team; when the USF coach asked the team if they wanted to remove
from the roster Mr. Matson and Burl Toler, their other African
American player, in order to gain an invitation to the Orange Bowl,
the players steadfastly refused, and the Dons did not play in a bowl
contest; and
WHEREAS, A versatile athlete, Mr. Matson competed in the
United States Olympic trials in 1948 and earned a place on the U.S.
team in 1952; he took part in the Summer Games in Helsinki that
year, winning a bronze medal in the 400-meter dash and a silver in
the 400-meter relay; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago Cardinals chose Mr. Matson with the
third pick in the 1952 National Football League draft, and he
embarked on a stellar professional career that spanned 15 seasons,
with a year off for service in the U.S. Army in 1953; he was
co-Rookie of the Year in 1952, was named to the Pro Bowl six times,
and was a first-team all-pro selection five times; he ranked second
in career all-purpose yards at the time of his retirement and set a
record for touchdown runbacks on kicks and punts; such was his
reputation that the Los Angeles Rams traded eight players and a
draft choice to the Cardinals in 1959 in order to bring him to their
team; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Matson also played for the Detroit Lions and
Philadelphia Eagles before retiring in 1966; he was elected to the
Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972 and the National Football
Foundation College Hall of Fame in 1976; after his playing career
ended, he taught physical education and coached football at Los
Angeles High School; he went on to serve as the running backs coach
for San Diego State University and as a scout for the Eagles, and he
spent more than a decade as the special events supervisor at the Los
Angeles Memorial Coliseum; and
WHEREAS, An exceptional competitor who persevered in the face
of adversity, Ollie Matson earned a place among the legendary
figures of the NFL, and his achievements will be remembered and
celebrated long into the future; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Ollie Matson and
extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his
daughters, Lisa Lewis and Barbara King; to his sons, Ollie and Bruce
Matson; to his eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; to
his sister, Ocie Thompson; and to his other relatives, friends, and
many fans; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Ollie
Matson.