[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 11 (Thursday, January 19, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H370-H371]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         CONGRATULATIONS ALBION

  (Mr. SMITH of Michigan asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks and include 
extraneous matter.)
  Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Mr. Chairman, as we conclude another football 
season, I say:
  Move over, San Francisco. Step aside, San Diego Chargers.
  The real football champion is not from California, but from 
Michigan--and more specifically, from Albion, MI.
  Last month, Albion College captured the division III national 
championship by defeating Washington and Jefferson of Pennsylvania 38 
to 15.
  With a tradition of excellence in both academics and athletics, 
Albion's reputation is known throughout the Midwest. And the men who 
make up the Briton football team are scholar-athletes in the truest 
sense of the word. [[Page H371]] 
  So, let me take my hat off to Coach Schmidt and the Albion Britons 
for capping a perfect 13 and 0 season with a national championship.
  On behalf of this Congress, congratulations Albion.
  I enclose a report of the game as covered in the Pleiad:

       Washington and Jefferson was the 2-1 favorite to win the 
     Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. In the end, the margin of victory was 
     more than 2-1. Only it was Albion College that became the 
     National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III 
     National Champions.
       So much for expert opinions. The Britons' 38-15 victory 
     over the Presidents was the most lopsided Stagg Bowl since 
     1986.
       The victory boosted Albion's record to 13-0, clinching a 
     perfect season. The Britons are one of four NCAA football 
     squads in the nation with a perfect record . W&J finished its 
     season with an 11-2 record.
       Despite the clearcut victory, Saturday's game in Salem, 
     Va., was marred by a slow start and racial taunts directed at 
     Jeffrey Robinson, Mount Clemens senior and running back.
       First, the Britons lost the coin toss and had to receive in 
     the first half. Despite a 40-yard kickoff return by Todd 
     Morris, Highland senior and fullback, Albion was unable to 
     capitalize on its first two drives of the game. With 4:30 
     left in the first quarter, W&J's Vince Botti scored the 
     game's first touchdown.
       With 35 seconds left in the first quarter, however, 
     Robinson broke a tackle and found a hole. He ran for 70 
     yards, scoring the Britons' first touchdown 12 seconds later.
       Seventy-four seconds after that first touchdown, the 
     Britons scored again when Jared Wood, Frankenmuth junior and 
     outside linebacker, intercepted a pass and ran it back 29 
     yards for another touchdown--the first of two in the second 
     quarter.
       Scott Casteele, Vermontville senior and tight end, forced 
     the Presidents to fumble on the ensuing kickoff. David 
     Lefere, Jackson sophomore and free safety, then recovered the 
     ball, leading to a 28-yard field goal by kicker Michael 
     Zacha, Okemos sophomore.
       The defense dominated, with big hits by Dennis Waclawski, 
     Ada junior and defensive tackle; Robert Taylor, Grosse Ile 
     senior and defensive end; and an interception by Timothy 
     Schafer, Holt junior and cornerback.
       With 1:08 left in the half, Robinson scored again, putting 
     the Britons ahead 24-7 at the half.
       The third quarter was dominated by the Briton defense, 
     especially by James Davis, Gross Ile senior and outside 
     linebacker. Davis had a hand in two sacks in the quarter, 
     both on W&J third downs.
       Albion added to its score yet again with 50 seconds left in 
     the quarter, courtesy of a 2-yard reception by Christopher 
     Barnett, Flint sophomore and wide receiver.
       The fourth quarter belonged to Raymond Henke, Warren 
     sophomore and cornerback, who batted down three W&J passes.
       With 11:18 remaining, W&J running back Jake Williams 
     crossed the goal line for a 12-yard touchdown run. W&J chose 
     to go for the two-point conversion, and quarterback Jason 
     Baer connected with Botti, bringing the score to 31-15.
       With 57 seconds left to play, Robinson scored his third 
     touchdown of the game--a 29-yard run. With the successful 
     extra point kick by Zacha, the Britons clinched the national 
     championship by a score of 38-15.
       Albion's score was not the only impressive number of the 
     game. Robinson rushed for 166 yards and three touchdowns. The 
     team combined to rush for 254 yards, shutting down the 
     Presidents' first-ranked defense against the run, which only 
     allowed an average of 35.8 rushing yards per game.
       Prior to Saturday's game, W&J had not given up more than 24 
     points since a 47-28 loss to Ithaca (N.Y.) in 1992.
       The Britons accomplished all this despite the steady rain 
     that persisted throughout the game, making the 45-degree 
     temperature seem even colder and making the field even 
     muddier.

                              {time}  1520

  With a tradition of excellence in both academics and athletics, 
Albion's reputation is known throughout the Midwest. The men who make 
up the Briton football team are scholar athletes in the truest 
tradition of the word, so let me take my hat off to Coach Smith and to 
the Albion Britons for capturing a perfect 13-1-0 loss season with the 
conclusion of the national championship. On behalf of this Congress, 
congratulations, Albion.

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