[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 2 (Thursday, January 4, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S29]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



    Congratulating the University of Georgia Bulldogs Football Team

  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I rise to talk about the tradition of New 
Year's Day, the beginning of a new year, our great country, and many of 
its great traditions.
  I am sorry the minority leader left so quickly because I wanted to 
brag about how great the New York City Police and law enforcement were 
on New Year's Eve. Millions of Americans gathered to watch the ball 
drop in New York City and the new year to start. We all enjoy doing 
that in the warmth of our homes, particularly on days like today, but 
there is also the warmth of America.
  There is a second great tradition that takes place on New Year's Day 
as well. It is called the college football season, which is capped off 
by the Rose Bowl, which is played in Pasadena, CA. This year, the Rose 
Bowl was played between the University of Georgia, my home State, and 
the University of Oklahoma. It was one of the greatest football games, 
I think anybody would admit, that has ever been played in that game 
before, and I am proud of both universities.
  I am equally proud of the University of Alabama and Clemson 
University--the other two teams that played for the right to play in 
Atlanta, GA, on Monday night of next week, on January 8, to decide the 
collegiate national championship. My Bulldogs of Georgia will be one of 
those two teams. They defeated Oklahoma 54 to 48 in a great football 
game in California. Alabama made a decisive victory over Clemson in New 
Orleans, LA, in the Sugar Bowl. The two will meet this coming Monday 
night in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.
  I don't know which is going to win. I know which one I am pulling 
for. I know which one I am on the floor bragging about tonight, but I 
am equally bragging about all of our collegiate athletics in this 
country and the great men and women who make it work--the coaches, 
athletic directors, and people who make it go.
  In particular, with Georgia's victory, it prompts me to come to the 
floor and talk about Kirby Smart. Kirby is the head coach of the 
University of Georgia. For 9 years preceding his coming to Georgia, he 
was assistant to Nick Saban, coach for the University of Alabama. They 
will play against each another on Monday night for this year's national 
championship. It is ironic that the coach and his pupil will be the two 
coaches in that great game.

  Kirby is a University of Georgia graduate. He was a great University 
of Georgia football player in his own right. He came to the University 
of Georgia with high hopes as an alumnus, hoping that he could be the 
person to take Georgia to new heights.
  It took him only a year. The first season was 8 and 5. The second 
season was this year, 12 and 1--now 13 and 1--winning the Rose Bowl and 
playing for the national championship on Monday night.
  Kirby Smart is not just smart because he knows football; he is smart 
because he knows how to be a leader. You saw an example of a man in the 
Rose Bowl who never took credit himself. He always gave it to his other 
coaches and to his other players. He never tried to be the winner. He 
always tried to be in the background. He put others ahead of himself, 
but deep down inside--and behind the great victory that was won that 
night--it was his spirit, his encouragement, his living the dream that 
all the Georgia players followed.
  I want to talk about a couple of them. Sony Michel was the offensive 
player of the game, one of the greatest running backs ever to come out 
of the University of Georgia, and we had some good ones--Frankie 
Sinkwich, Charlie Trippy, and Herschel Walker. On defense, Roquan 
Smith, the Dick Butkus Award winner, played a great defensive game. 
Then, with the combination of leadership they brought to the team on 
the field and the quiet leadership and confidence Kirby Smart brought 
to the team as its coach, they won that game 54 to 48 in a double-
overtime elimination of the University of Oklahoma.
  My congratulations go to Oklahoma and their quarterback Baker 
Mayfield, who was the Heisman Trophy winner, on playing a great game.
  I wish Alabama a lot of luck on Monday night, but not enough to beat 
my Bulldogs. This is going to be our chance to win a national 
championship for the first time in 38 years of football. We are going 
to be in my home State of Georgia in our newest athletic facility, the 
Mercedes-Benz Stadium. I think it is an appropriate place for us to 
win, so I am going to say ``Go Dawgs'' from the floor of the Senate.
  On Monday night, I hope Kirby Smart remembers the reason I am 
bragging about him today on the floor is that he is going to be our 
leader Monday night. He is going to carry us to victory one more time. 
I am counting on him, just like all the Georgia graduates all over the 
country who watched with joy on January 1, and we will be looking on 
Monday night with anticipation and, hopefully, satisfaction.
  I yield back the remainder of my time.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Arkansas.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Thank you, Mr. President.
  I have to add, coming from Arkansas, that I wish to congratulate the 
Southeast Conference for being the championship teams. It is going to 
be a great game.