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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Homer Jones received well-deserved recognition for |
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| 6 | 7 | | his exceptional athletic career when he was inducted into the Texas |
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| 7 | 8 | | Black Sports Hall of Fame on February 7, 2015; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Jones first distinguished himself as a |
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| 9 | 10 | | multisport star during his time at Frederick Douglass High School |
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| 10 | 11 | | in Pittsburg; he played on the school's basketball team and posted |
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| 11 | 12 | | impressive times in the 100-yard and 200-yard dash races as a member |
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| 12 | 13 | | of the track and field squad; although he only played football |
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| 13 | 14 | | during his senior year, he garnered the interest of several |
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| 14 | 15 | | colleges and ultimately chose to attend Texas Southern University; |
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| 15 | 16 | | and |
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| 16 | 17 | | WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan became known as one of the |
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| 17 | 18 | | fastest athletes in TSU history, demonstrating his speed as a |
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| 18 | 19 | | member of the football and track teams; on the gridiron, he helped |
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| 19 | 20 | | the Tigers achieve a number of memorable wins, including a victory |
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| 20 | 21 | | over football powerhouse Grambling State University; his talents as |
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| 21 | 22 | | a college sprinter earned him a place on the United States Track and |
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| 22 | 23 | | Field Team, and he would go on to train for international |
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| 23 | 24 | | competition with future NFL Hall of Famer and Dallas Cowboy Bob |
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| 24 | 25 | | Hayes; and |
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| 25 | 26 | | WHEREAS, Originally drafted by the Houston Oilers of the |
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| 26 | 27 | | American Football League, Mr. Jones eventually joined the New York |
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| 27 | 28 | | Giants of the National Football League as a wide receiver; he was |
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| 28 | 29 | | named the team's most valuable player for 1967 after an exemplary |
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| 29 | 30 | | season in which he led the league in touchdown catches with 13, and |
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| 30 | 31 | | his average of 66.4 receiving yards per game remains a franchise |
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| 31 | 32 | | record; moreover, he was selected to the Pro Bowl on two separate |
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| 32 | 33 | | occasions; he was traded to the Cleveland Browns in 1970 and played |
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| 33 | 34 | | one season with that team before a knee injury forced him to retire |
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| 34 | 35 | | from the game; and |
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| 35 | 36 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Jones achieved further acclaim on the gridiron |
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| 36 | 37 | | by becoming the first player to "spike" the ball to celebrate a |
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| 37 | 38 | | touchdown, and he also returned a kickoff for a touchdown during the |
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| 38 | 39 | | first-ever broadcast of Monday Night Football in 1970; and |
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| 39 | 40 | | WHEREAS, An athlete possessing superb ability and |
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| 40 | 41 | | dedication, Homer Jones excelled against top competition in each of |
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| 41 | 42 | | his chosen sports, and he is indeed deserving of this notable |
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| 42 | 43 | | hall-of-fame honor; now, therefore, be it |
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| 43 | 44 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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| 44 | 45 | | Legislature hereby congratulate Homer Jones on his induction into |
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| 45 | 46 | | the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame and extend to him sincere best |
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| 46 | 47 | | wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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| 47 | 48 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 48 | 49 | | prepared for Mr. Jones as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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| 49 | 50 | | House of Representatives. |
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