[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 5 (Monday, January 31, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S146-S147]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  SUPER BOWL CHAMPION, ST. LOUIS RAMS

  Mr. FITZGERALD. Madam President, it is with great pride that I rise 
today with my distinguished colleagues to express my sincere 
congratulations to the Super Bowl XXXIV Champion St. Louis Rams. In the 
aftermath of a heart-stopping NFC division victory over the Tampa Bay 
Buccaneers and an outstanding regular season record of 13 wins and 3 
losses, the St. Louis Rams increased their intensity to win Super Bowl 
XXXIV, bringing home the most prized possession in the National 
Football League, the Lombardi Trophy. In an extraordinary effort and 
show of heart, the Rams countered the incredible second-half push by 
the Tennessee Titans in a game that more than lived up to its billing 
of ``Super'' and made history on Sunday, January 30, 2000, by pulling 
out a thrilling victory by the score of 23-16, becoming the Super Bowl 
XXXIV Champions.
  This was Coach Dick Vermeil's third year as head coach of the Rams. 
Coach Vermeil previously led the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl 
in 1980, but had been away from coaching for almost 15 years. The 
passionate 63 year old coach showed he still had the stuff it takes to 
lead this team of stars to the championship. The fans of professional 
football have appropriately awarded Coach Vermeil by voting him the 
Staples Coach of the Year, the only NFL honor determined solely by a 
vote of the fans.
  The three-year path to glory began slowly, with 9 wins and 23 losses 
over the previous two seasons, including just 4 victories last season, 
but the team turned it around this year. While the Rams were truly a 
team that played well together all year, this triumphant season can be 
attributed to the performance of several key players, including six 
players that were chosen to start in the Pro Bowl.
  Kurt Warner, stepping in as the starter after Trent Green was injured 
in an early preseason game, enjoyed one of the best years ever for an 
NFL quarterback, throwing for 4,353 yards, 41 touchdowns and only 13 
interceptions, a performance worthy of being awarded the NFL's Most 
Valuable Player and the Pro Bowl starting quarterback. This remarkable 
individual, in just his second season in the NFL, was

[[Page S147]]

bagging groceries in Waterloo, Iowa, just five years ago. While setting 
passing and scoring records in the Arena Football League for 3 seasons 
and one season in the NFL Europe, he never gave up his dream of playing 
in the NFL. Last night, he helped to bring the dream of a Super Bowl 
championship home to St. Louis.
  Marshall Faulk, one of the league's premier running backs, set an NFL 
record this season for combined rushing and receiving yards from the 
line of scrimmage in a single season with 2,429, in addition to scoring 
12 touchdowns. He was also chosen to start in the Pro Bowl.
  All season long, the team benefitted from a stellar group of talented 
receivers, led by Isaac Bruce, who will join his teammates in the Pro 
Bowl; Torry Holt; Az-zahir Hakim; and Ricky Proehl. Proehl, you may 
remember, caught a clutch game-winning touchdown in the closing minutes 
of the Rams' win last week over the Tampa Bay Buccanneers, while Bruce 
made a truly spectacular play in the fourth-quarter of the Super Bowl 
by catching a 73 yard touchdown pass that sealed the championship. 
These stars helped the Rams to establish early on that they were an 
offensive-minded team, scoring a total of 526 points this season, the 
third-most in NFL history.
  But as the saying goes, ``Defense wins championships,'' and the Rams 
proved this adage, by leading the NFL in rushing defense, and ranking 
sixth in the league in overall defense. This season, the Rams' 
defensive end, Kevin Carter, led the league with 17 quarterback sacks 
and earned his first start in the Pro Bowl. After only 5 years in the 
league, this outstanding defender has developed a well-documented work 
ethic that has helped him achieve more sacks over the past two seasons 
than anyone else in the league.
  We all know that to be champions requires a strong commitment to work 
harder and be more disciplined than the rest. The Rams' Super Bowl win 
is a credit to the extraordinary efforts by the entire Rams' 
organization. After moving to St. Louis in 1995, the management went to 
work in hiring excellent personnel and a committed coaching staff. This 
season, the organization's slogan was aptly and accurately versed: 
``Gotta go to work!'' With the whole organization working as one 
cohesive unit and regularly working well beyond the hours of 9 to 5, 
they showed us just how much can be accomplished when everyone works 
together for a common goal and is committed to doing more than his or 
her fair share.
  We would be remiss if we overlooked another admirable quality of this 
fine organization, and that is the commitment to the community. When 
the Rams relocated to St. Louis in 1995, the team identified community 
involvement as one of the top priorities. Since that time, many 
charitable organizations have benefitted from the time and resources of 
these big-hearted athletes, as various Rams players have 
dedicated dollars for every touchdown, interception, field goal, sack 
and more. Some examples of how these stars contribute to the community 
include:

  1. The defensive line--donating $500 for every quarterback sack to a 
local homeless shelter.
  2. Wide receiver Isaac Bruce--donating $500 for every touchdown to 
Edgewood's Childhaven, an educational center for children with learning 
disabilities.
  3. Running back Marshall Faulk--continuing the ``Marshall Plan'' that 
began in Indianapolis by donating $2,000 for every touchdown that he 
scores to the Marshall Faulk Foundation.
  4. Quarterback Trent Green--donating $300 for every Rams passing 
touchdown to the Trent Green Family Foundation.
  5. Safety Keith Lyle--donating $500 for every interception to local 
literacy programs.
  6. Kicker Jeff Wilkins--donating $50 for every field goal to Cardinal 
Glennon Children's Hospital.
  7. Tight end Roland Williams--donating $86 for every catch to the 
Roland Williams Youth Life Line Foundation which supports children in 
Roland's hometown.
  Most of these players have also been successful in receiving matching 
commitments from local businesses and individuals, helping to foster a 
true sense of community. In addition, each year, players make countless 
appearances at local schools, hospitals and youth centers to use their 
influence with children to stress the importance of education and 
making proper choices in life.
  The hard work and dedication of the Rams to their team and the people 
of the St. Louis metropolitan area deserves our highest commendations. 
So, on behalf of myself and the good people of my state of Illinois, I 
congratulate Coach Dick Vermeil, Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Kurt 
Warner, Marshall Faulk, Issac Bruce, and the entire St. Louis Rams team 
on an outstanding performance.
  Coach Vermeil, players, and fans: congratulations on a great season 
and an outstanding victory.

                          ____________________