[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 90 (Thursday, May 30, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E685]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE AND LEGACY OF COACH OTIS 
                               WASHINGTON

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TERRI A. SEWELL

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 30, 2019

  Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
extraordinary life and legacy of the late Coach Otis Washington. A 
native of Selma, Alabama, Coach Washington was a legendary football and 
Louisiana Hall of Famer, who instilled in his players his winning 
spirit, stalwart character and quest for excellence. He led St. 
Augustine High School to three state championships before moving on to 
coach at LSU and Southern University. Sadly, Coach Washington passed 
away on Friday, May 24, 2019 at the age of 80.
  Coach Washington was born on February 12, 1939 in Selma, Alabama to 
Sadie and Otis Washington, Sr. He graduated from R.B. Hudson High 
School in 1957 where he was class president and a star athlete. He then 
graduated from Xavier University in New Orleans, where he was the 
captain of the football team and an All-Conference guard and 
linebacker. A stellar all-around athlete, Coach Washington also made 
Xavier's All-Conference team in baseball.
  Coach Washington was a devout Catholic and devoted member of the 
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His 
devotion to his faith began as a young boy in Selma, Alabama, where he 
was a member of the Don Bosco Catholic Boy's Club founded by Father 
Nelson Ziter in 1947.
  Coach Washington's resume speaks for itself. He led St. Augustine to 
state championships in 1975, 1978 and 1979, and in his 11 seasons 
there, he garnered a 113-17-1 record and guided the Purple Knights to 
11 consecutive winning seasons and seven district titles in their 
ultra-competitive league.
  In 1979, Coach Washington became the first African American football 
coach at LSU when he joined the staff as an offensive line coach. In 
1981, Coach Washington was hired as the head football coach at Southern 
University in Baton Rouge, where he led the Jaguars for six seasons, 
until 1986.
  His achievements on the football field led to his induction into the 
Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2015 and the St. Augustine Hall of 
Fame in 2017. He was also inducted into several additional halls of 
fame, including: The New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame--Outstanding Prep 
Coach (1979); New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame (1994); Louisiana High 
School Athletic Association Sports Hall of Fame (2012); Southern 
University Sports Hall of Fame (2016); and Xavier University Hall of 
Fame (2017).
  His success on the football field was matched by his many efforts in 
the community to promote fairness, equity and justice. ``Coach Wash,'' 
as he was known by most, was a key figure in the integration of the 
Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA). Three years before 
Coach Washington took over at St. Augustine, a lawsuit allowed the 
school to compete in the LHSAA, rather than the all-black Louisiana 
Interscholastic Athletic and Literary Organization. St. Augustine, led 
by Coach Washington, often found itself caught in the middle of a 
changing, difficult social environment, and on the losing end of many 
officials' calls. In 1970, when all-black St. Augustine team faced off 
against an all-white team in Chalmette, the team was escorted by 
police. On the field, the players were surrounded by a dozen officers 
and police dogs. Despite the environment, though, the team, persevered 
and eventually made it to the state championship--and won.
  While Coach Washington was often quick to downplay his role in 
integrating the league and said he did not see himself as a civil 
rights leader, his guidance opened doors of opportunity for countless 
members of the African American community, and many of his players 
credit his leadership with the team's persistence and determination to 
make it to the state finals, despite the difficult racial social 
climate. He demanded discipline and attention to detail from both his 
players and assistant coaches at every level of the game, from St. 
Augustine to LSU. These lessons remained with his players even after 
they had hung up their cleats.
  Coach Washington is survived by his wife of over 52 years, Linda 
Patterson Washington of Baton Rouge, whom he met while coaching at St. 
Augustine; his siblings, Carol C. Black, Olivia Washington, Charlene W. 
Brown, Theopolis, Sr. (Jacqueline), Sharon D. Williams (Tyrone R., 
Sr.), Irma Ruth McQueen, and many godchildren, special grandchildren, 
nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
  On a personal note, I knew this amazing man as my ``Uncle Otis.'' He 
was one of my father's best childhood friends. Uncle Otis, my dad, 
Charles Williams and Ted Washington referred to themselves as the 
``Four Amigos'' in grammar school, a name that stuck throughout their 
lifetimes. These men never forgot the lessons they learned from Father 
Nelson Ziter at the Don Bosco Boy's Club of Selma, nor the friendship 
that bound them forever. They shared a deep love of their hometown of 
Selma and a commitment to service through sports.
  Uncle Otis and Auntie Linda were a constant presence in the lives of 
my twin brothers and me. I could always count on them for words of 
encouragement and boasts of pride in my accomplishments. I know that I 
stand today as Alabama's first black Congresswoman because of the love, 
support, nurturing and prayers of the mentors, family and friends like 
Uncle Otis. Like my dad, Coach Otis Washington will be missed, but 
never forgotten. The legacy Uncle Otis leaves behind will live on in 
the many lives that he impacted. May we find comfort in knowing that 
his legend lives in us, and we are stronger and better because Uncle 
Otis' light shines bright within us.
  On behalf of Alabama's 7th Congressional District, I ask my 
colleagues to join me in honoring the extraordinary life and legacy of 
Selma, Alabama native Coach Otis Washington, a football coaching legend 
and Louisiana Hall of Famer. May we celebrate the totality of his life 
today and honor always his great accomplishments in sports and 
contributions in shaping the hearts, minds and character of men.

                          ____________________