H.R. No. 795
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Nate Boyer of The University of Texas at Austin
received well-deserved recognition when he was chosen as the winner
of the 2012 Disney Spirit Award; and
WHEREAS, Established in 1996, the award is presented each
year to the college football player judged to be the most
inspirational figure in the sport; and
WHEREAS, Before he did battle on the gridiron, Mr. Boyer
fought for his country; he enlisted in the U.S. Army at age 20 in
response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and joined
the Green Berets Special Forces Unit after basic training; he
earned a Bronze Star during his six years of active duty, which
included deployment to Iraq; and
WHEREAS, While serving in the Middle East, Mr. Boyer often
watched the UT football team on television, and he set his sights on
joining the Longhorns' roster when his hitch was over, even though
he had never played the sport competitively; drawing on the same
determination he demonstrated in his military training, he made his
dream a reality by enrolling at UT in 2010 and earning a spot on the
team as a walk-on; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Boyer was ultimately awarded a scholarship and
moved into the role of long snapper on extra-point and field-goal
attempts during his sophomore season in 2012; he motivates team
members with stories of his army days and proudly carries the
American flag onto the field before games; and
WHEREAS, A gifted student, he received First-Team Academic
All-Big 12 honors in 2012 and is a member of the Athletics
Director's Honor Roll with a 4.0 grade point average; along with
other Texas players, he makes regular trips to the Dell Children's
Medical Center of Central Texas to visit the young patients; he has
also taken part in other philanthropic projects over the years,
including working with autistic children and providing aid to
refugee camps in the Darfur region of Sudan; in addition, he
continues to serve in the armed forces as a member of the Texas
National Guard and takes part in missions abroad during the summer;
and
WHEREAS, Through his efforts as a soldier and volunteer, Nate
Boyer has exemplified the concept of selfless generosity, and his
admirable accomplishments and his commitment to excel in all of his
endeavors have made him a source of inspiration to his teammates and
to all who know his story; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate Nate Boyer on winning the 2012
Disney Spirit Award and extend to him sincere best wishes for
continued success; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mr. Boyer as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.
Darby
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 795 was adopted by the House on March
20, 2013, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House