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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, The Lone Star State lost a legendary football coach |
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| 6 | 7 | | with the passing of William Taylor Dykes on April 10, 2017, at the |
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| 7 | 8 | | age of 79; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Born in Lubbock on March 14, 1938, "Spike" Dykes |
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| 9 | 10 | | developed a passion for sports at an early age and soon showed |
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| 10 | 11 | | exceptional athletic ability as well, becoming an All-State center |
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| 11 | 12 | | on the Ballinger High School football team; he subsequently played |
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| 12 | 13 | | football at Rice University before transferring to Stephen F. |
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| 13 | 14 | | Austin State University, where he graduated in 1959; and |
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| 14 | 15 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Dykes began his coaching career as an assistant |
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| 15 | 16 | | at Eastland and Ballinger High Schools before being named head |
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| 16 | 17 | | coach at Central High School in San Angelo in 1962; he went on to |
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| 17 | 18 | | lead programs at Coahoma, Belton, Big Spring, and Alice High |
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| 18 | 19 | | Schools, and in 1971, he was hired as an assistant coach at The |
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| 19 | 20 | | University of Texas at Austin; following five seasons there, he |
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| 20 | 21 | | worked on the staff at the University of New Mexico and then at |
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| 21 | 22 | | Mississippi State University; in 1980, he assumed the role of head |
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| 22 | 23 | | coach at Lee High School in Midland, where he piloted his squad to |
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| 23 | 24 | | the state finals in 1983; and |
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| 24 | 25 | | WHEREAS, The following year, Mr. Dykes joined the football |
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| 25 | 26 | | program at Texas Tech University as an assistant coach, and he was |
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| 26 | 27 | | promoted to head coach two years later; over the course of 13 |
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| 27 | 28 | | seasons, he earned the distinction of becoming the first Tech coach |
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| 28 | 29 | | to appear in seven consecutive bowl games, including the Red |
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| 29 | 30 | | Raiders' All-American Bowl triumph in 1989 and their first Cotton |
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| 30 | 31 | | Bowl appearance in 56 years in 1995; by the time he retired in 1999, |
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| 31 | 32 | | he had garnered the most victories in school history, with an |
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| 32 | 33 | | overall record of 82 wins, 67 losses, and 1 tie; and |
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| 33 | 34 | | WHEREAS, The recipient of numerous honors, Mr. Dykes was |
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| 34 | 35 | | selected as Southwest Conference Coach of the Year three times and |
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| 35 | 36 | | as Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year once; he went on to be |
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| 36 | 37 | | inducted into the Texas Tech Athletics Hall of Honor in 2001 and the |
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| 37 | 38 | | Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2008, and in 2011 he was presented with |
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| 38 | 39 | | a Distinguished Texan Award by the Texas Tech Chapter of the |
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| 39 | 40 | | National Football Foundation; and |
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| 40 | 41 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Dykes shared more than five decades of marriage |
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| 41 | 42 | | with the love of his life, Sharon, until her passing in 2010; over |
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| 42 | 43 | | the years, the couple were blessed with three children, Rick, |
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| 43 | 44 | | Sonny, and Bebe, and their family eventually grew to include eight |
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| 44 | 45 | | grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; and |
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| 45 | 46 | | WHEREAS, Spike Dykes was renowned not only for his |
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| 46 | 47 | | outstanding ability as a coach of the game but also for his |
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| 47 | 48 | | generosity of spirit and his self-deprecating humor, which endeared |
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| 48 | 49 | | him to players, fellow coaches, and fans alike; he had a positive |
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| 49 | 50 | | impact on the many communities in which he worked, and he will |
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| 50 | 51 | | continue to be fondly remembered throughout the Lone Star State and |
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| 51 | 52 | | beyond for decades to come; now, therefore, be it |
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| 52 | 53 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 53 | 54 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of William Taylor |
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| 54 | 55 | | "Spike" Dykes and extend heartfelt sympathy to the members of his |
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| 55 | 56 | | family and to all who mourn his passing; and, be it further |
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| 56 | 57 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 57 | 58 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 58 | 59 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of William |
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| 59 | 60 | | Taylor "Spike" Dykes. |
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