[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 149 (Wednesday, October 23, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H6686]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               A TRIBUTE TO A TEXAS LEGEND, BUM PHILLIPS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Olson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, my hometown of Houston, Texas, lost an icon 
last week, Bum Phillips.
  Bum coached the Houston Oilers in their heyday, 1975 through 1980.

                              {time}  1100

  Twice during that tenure, they came within one game of going to the 
Super Bowl.
  Bum was loved because he was more than a football coach. He was a 
true Texan who happened to be a football coach--a Houston, Texas, 
football coach.
  Bum understood the rivalry between Dallas, Texas, and Houston, Texas. 
He said:

       The Dallas Cowboys may be America's team, but the Houston 
     Oilers are Texas' team.

  He knew football was just a game.
  As he said:

       Winning is only half of it. Having fun is the other half.

  And he had fun.
  In 1977, the Oilers drafted a star running back from Texas, Earl 
Campbell, a Heisman Trophy winner, a University of Texas graduate, a 
Longhorn from Tyler, Texas. In their first practice, Earl finished dead 
last in the mile run of the whole team. A reporter asked Bum if he was 
worried about Earl, could he perform in the NFL. Bum dead-panned:

       When it's first and a mile, I won't give it to him.

  He loved his players, nobody more so than Earl Campbell. Bum showed 
his love for Earl by saying:

       I don't know if Earl is in a class by himself, but I do 
     know that when that class gets together, it sure don't take 
     long to call the roll.

  Love ya, Blue; love ya, Bum. Thanks for the memories. God has a small 
class waiting for you in Heaven, and, yes, it won't take long to take 
the roll.
  God bless Bum Phillips.

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