[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 17 (Thursday, February 2, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E125-E126]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        CASE KEENUM--QUARTERBACK

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, February 2, 2012

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, there are entire professions devoted 
to analyzing football statistics. Yards after catch, passer rating, and 
value over replacement are just a few of the endless minutia studied at 
a scholar-like level. But at the end of the day, the only statistic 
that matters is winning. Today I am proud to pay tribute to one of the 
greatest winners in college football history, record-breaking 
quarterback Case Keenum from the University of Houston Cougars.
  Case was born in Abilene, TX, with football in his blood. His father 
played for and would later go on to coach McMurry University in 
Abilene. Abilene is in the heart of west Texas--where football--
especially high school football--is regarded by some as almost a 
religion. I attended Abilene Christian University and witnessed the 
local high school teams play hard on the gridiron during ``Friday Night 
Lights.''

[[Page E126]]

  Case Keenum won 31 games starting for Wylie High School, including 
the 2004 Class 3A Division 1 State Championship, Wylie's first and only 
time to win it all. He also earned varsity letters in baseball and 
track. After listening to other schools, he chose to attend the 
University of Houston.
  Case was entangled in a competition for the starting position in 2007 
after redshirting his freshman year. Keenum shared time and played in 
all 13 games that year, starting in 7. He won the starting position by 
the end of the season. It was his team now and he took the opportunity 
and ran. The 2008 season, Case's first full year as a starter, was a 
monumental one. He became the second quarterback in school history to 
pass for over 5,000 yards. The team beat two nationally ranked 
opponents and won its first bowl game in over 25 years. Case's star was 
on the rise and the University of Houston was back in the national 
conversation.
  After all the success in 2008, the lights would be brighter on Case 
and the Cougars in 2009 than ever before, and they rose to the 
occasion. They defeated the then-#5 ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys, 
which propelled the team in the AP rankings for the first time in over 
20 years, and also upset Texas Tech and Mississippi State. They 
finished 10-4 and as Conference USA Western Division Co-Champions. Case 
had another impressive year, finishing with over 5,800 yards of total 
offense and 48 touchdowns.
  2010 was to be the year that Case broke numerous NCAA Division 1 
passing records and put the Houston Cougars into the Bowl Championship 
Series picture. The team was nationally ranked in several preseason 
polls and Case was awarded the Conference USA Preseason Player of the 
Year. However, just three games into the season, Keenum tore his ACL. 
His season was done, and the team finished at 5-7. This was not the end 
that Case or Coach Kevin Sumlin and the Cougars envisioned.
  Case was awarded a rare 6th year of eligibility for the 2011 season, 
allowing him to return to Houston and complete his college journey on 
his terms. No one could have predicted how successful Case and the team 
would be. The team once again started the season nationally ranked and 
would go on to finish 12-0 in the regular season. This was the first 
time in the 66-year history of the program that the team finished the 
regular season undefeated and untied. They closed out the year with a 
victory over the Penn State Nittany Lions in the TicketCity Bowl and a 
ranking of 18th in the AP Poll. The Houston Cougars led the nation with 
8,387 yards of total offense while Case also led the nation with an 
impressive 5,631 yards of total passing.
  Case's career numbers are staggering. He holds nearly every NCAA 
career passing record, including passing yardage, total offense, 
touchdown passes, total touchdowns, and completions. He won 41 of the 
57 games that he participated. He won the Conference USA Most Valuable 
Player award twice, as he also did the Sammy Baugh Trophy, awarded to 
the nation's top college passer. This weekend he will be one of twelve 
players chosen to highlight their skills at the Super Bowl Sunday All 
Star Challenge in front of a worldwide audience.
  Case's success was not limited to the gridiron. He was named to the 
Conference USA Academic All-Conference selection twice, thanks to his 
3.8 GPA earned while working towards his graduate degree in Sports 
Administration. He was a five time Conference USA Commissioner's Honor 
Roll member.
  Every so often, a player comes around that redefines what it means to 
be a leader. Thanks to his internal fortitude, Case Keenum played an 
important role in the rebirth of the University of Houston Cougar 
football team. He has shown that hard work and perseverance can turn a 
pretender into a contender. I proudly congratulate Case on all of his 
accomplishments and wish him the best of luck in the future.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________