83R24631 JWI-D
By: Darby H.R. No. 1911
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The life of a gridiron legend drew to a close with
the passing on April 1, 2013, of renowned football player and coach
Jack Pardee; and
WHEREAS, Born on April 19, 1936, in Iowa, Jack Pardee was the
youngest of Earl and Lameda Pardee's six children; after the family
moved to Texas and settled in Christoval, Mr. Pardee worked in the
oil fields as a teenager and played football for the six-man team at
Christoval High School; during his senior season in 1952, he scored
57 touchdowns, helping the Cougars to become regional champions,
and he is considered one of the greatest six-man players in the
history of Texas high school athletics; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Pardee went on to attend Texas A&M University,
where he became one of Coach Bear Bryant's "Junction Boys," so named
for the Texas Hill Country town where the coach conducted a grueling
training camp in 1954; Mr. Pardee played three seasons for the
Aggies, serving as a captain in 1956, when the team was ranked fifth
in the nation, and the talented scholar-athlete was named an
All-American and Academic All-American; and
WHEREAS, Drafted by the National Football League's Los
Angeles Rams in 1957, Mr. Pardee played linebacker for the team
until 1964, when he briefly retired to receive treatment for
melanoma; he returned for five more seasons with the Rams, and he
finished his playing career with the Washington Redskins in 1972;
his 15 years in the league were highlighted by an exceptional season
in 1963, when he was named a first-team All-Pro player and took part
in the Pro Bowl; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Pardee continued his successful football career
by transitioning to coaching; he began by leading a World Football
League team, the Florida Blazers, then coached the Chicago Bears
from 1975 to 1977, guiding the team to the playoffs for the first
time since 1963; he took the helm with the Redskins from 1978 to
1980, and he was named NFL Coach of the Year by the Associated Press
in 1979; and
WHEREAS, After working for a season as an assistant coach
with the San Diego Chargers, he became head coach of the Houston
Gamblers of the U.S. Football League for two years before being
hired as the head coach for the University of Houston; during his
tenure at UH in the late 1980s, he installed the high-powered "run
and shoot" offense, and his team made NCAA history when it became
the first squad to finish with more than 1,000 yards of offense in a
single game; among the players Mr. Pardee mentored at the
university was Andre Ware, the first African American quarterback
to win the Heisman Trophy; and
WHEREAS, In 1990, Mr. Pardee returned to the NFL to coach the
Houston Oilers, leading the team to four consecutive playoff
appearances; he concluded his work with the Oilers in 1994 and
coached the Birmingham Barracudas of the Canadian Football League
for a year before retiring to his cattle ranch in Gause; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Pardee's accomplishments as a player and coach
were honored with a number of accolades, including induction into
the College Football Hall of Fame and Coach of the Year awards for
his work in the NCAA Southwest Conference, the NFL, the World
Football League, and the USFL; in all his endeavors, he enjoyed the
love and support of his wife, Phyllis, with whom he shared 56 years
of marriage and raised five children; and
WHEREAS, A superb athlete and an innovative coach, Jack
Pardee excelled in both roles, and his impressive contributions to
the sport of football over the course of more than four decades won
the respect of his players and peers, as well as countless sports
fans in the Lone Star State and beyond; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Jack Pardee and extend
sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, Phyllis;
to his children, Steven Pardee, Judee Peterson and her husband,
Bruce, Anne Pardee, Susan Brown and her husband, Scott, and Ted
Pardee and his wife, Elizabeth; to his grandchildren, Trevor
Pardee, Sarah, Elizabeth, and Jake Peterson, Matthew, Kelly,
Madeline, Caroline, and Chase Brown, and Ellie, Payton, and Luke
Pardee; to his brother, Bob Pardee; and to his other relatives, many
friends, and former colleagues and players; 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 Jack
Pardee.