[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 24 (Wednesday, March 1, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S1577]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING COACH EDWARD THOMAS

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I am proud to say that I have recently 
discovered, almost literally in my own backyard, an Iowan who has 
received an honor of national significance. Mr. Edward Thomas, the head 
football coach at Aplington-Parkersburg High School, is the recipient 
of the 2005 NFL High School Coach of the Year award. He was honored 
with tickets to Super Bowl XL as well as monetary awards for himself 
and his football program.
  Coach Thomas has been coaching for 34 years, 31 of those at 
Aplington-Parkersburg. His overall record at Aplington-Parkersburg is 
249 wins and 58 losses. He has guided his teams to the State playoffs 
15 times, winning 2 State titles and has won 15 conference or district 
championships during that time. In his 34 years of coaching, he has won 
such awards as the National Federation High School Football Coach of 
the Year in 2004, Northeast Iowa Coach of the Year 5 times and was 
inducted into the Iowa High School Football Coaches' Association Hall 
of Fame in 1990. With an enrollment of almost 300 at Aplington-
Parkersburg, Coach Thomas has produced 4 active NFL players--Detroit 
Lions defensive end Jared DeVries, Jacksonville Jaguars guard Brad 
Meester, Kansas City Chiefs center Casey Wiegmann and Green Bay Packers 
defensive end Aaron Kampman.
  Coach Thomas also teaches life lessons and Christian principles while 
emphasizing the adversity and teamwork of football as a reflection of 
life in the real world. As Aaron Kampman put it, ``He strives to make 
men better through the game of football.'' Kampman also stated, ``You 
get goosebumps playing for the guy, the essence of playing under the 
lights on Friday night he brought that to the forefront.''
  While the Aplington-Parkersburg Falcons are rivals to my hometown 
team, the Dike-New Hartford Wolverines, I am very proud that an Iowan 
has been honored in this way. I offer my sincere congratulations to 
Coach Thomas on this most prestigious honor and wish him continued 
success.

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