[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 34 (Wednesday, March 2, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E260]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING CAROLINA PANTHERS HEAD COACH RON RIVERA FOR BEING NAMED THE 
            2015 NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE COACH OF THE YEAR

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                          HON. RICHARD HUDSON

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 2, 2016

  Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Carolina Panthers Head 
Coach Ron Rivera, who was named the National Football League Coach of 
the Year for the second time in three years. Coach Rivera did an 
outstanding job this year leading the Carolina Panthers, and he should 
be extremely proud of this impressive distinction he has so rightly 
earned.
  Before this NFL season started, few people expected the Carolina 
Panthers to win enough games to seriously compete for a spot in the 
postseason playoffs. However, Coach Rivera never let the detractors get 
in the way of preparing his team to focus only on the challenge 
directly in front of them. What happened over the course of the season 
is almost unbelievable, even to the most devoted Panthers fans. The 
Panthers won 15 of 16 games during the regular season, making the 
Panthers only the seventh team in NFL history to win 15 games, and set 
a franchise record for the most victories in a single season. In the 
postseason, the Panthers hosted the NFC Championship in Charlotte for 
the first time in the franchise's history and earned a spot in the 
Super Bowl for only the second time since the team's first season in 
1995. Needless to say, this was a fantastic season that will long be 
remembered by the players, coaches and fans.
  Coach Rivera deserves much of the credit for the Panthers' success 
this year, and this award is a testament to the outstanding job he did 
preparing for each game and putting his players in the best position to 
achieve success. While he already had a reputation as a tough player 
and as one of the top defensive minds in the sport, I believe this 
award, along with the continued success of the Panthers during his 
tenure as head coach, shows Coach Rivera is quickly becoming known as 
one of the finest coaches in the game.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Carolina Panthers Head 
Coach Ron Rivera for earning the 2015 NFL Coach of the Year award. I 
look forward to seeing Coach Rivera build upon this historic season and 
further cement the Panthers' status as one of the best teams in the 
NFL. Go Panthers and Keep Pounding!

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