[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 117 (Friday, August 2, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1472]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           MEL RENFRO INDUCTED INTO PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME

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                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 2, 1996

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize 
and congratulate a former Dallas Cowboy and good friend, Mr. Mel 
Renfro, for his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is the 
seventh Cowboy to be inducted.
  After leaving the Dallas Cowboys, Mel Renfro worked as a scout for 
the Cowboys and dabbled in various business deals. In 1983, Mr. Renfro 
began a sojourn that took him all over the United States until he 
settled in Portland, OR. He returned to Portland with a dream of 
revitalizing the northeast community where he grew up. He understood 
the importance of giving something back to his community.
  From the very start of Mel Renfro's tenure with the Dallas Cowboys, 
he was known as an impact player. In the Cowboys' man-to-man scheme, 
Mr. Renfro eliminated receivers from the game. His long arms and 
instincts allowed him to anticipate routes and deflect or intercept 
passes. One of Mr. Renfro's biggest assets was his ability to sprint 
backward, meaning he didn't have to come out of his backpedal until 
late in the route. He was very much the Deion Sanders of the Cowboys 
for the seventies and early eighties.
  Mel Renfro's induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a well-
deserved reward, and that is why, Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate 
him for his well-deserved recognition. I urge my colleagues to join 
with me in thanking him for his work. He is proud to have been a Dallas 
Cowboy and he richly deserves his Pro Football Hall of Fame 
designation.

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