[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 97 (Tuesday, June 11, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H4395]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING OTIS WASHINGTON

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Alabama (Ms. Sewell) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. 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 
Louisiana Football Hall of Famer who instilled in his players his 
winning spirit, strong character, and quest for excellence.

                              {time}  1015

  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 
captain of the football team and an all-conference guard and 
linebacker.
  Coach Washington's resume speaks for itself. As the head football 
coach, he led St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, Louisiana, to 
three State championships and, in his 11 seasons there, he guided the 
Purple Knights to 11 consecutive winning seasons and seven district 
titles.
  In 1979, Coach Washington became the first African American football 
coach at LSU when he joined the staff as offensive line coach. Later, 
Coach Washington was hired as the head football coach at Southern 
University, where he led the Jaguars for six seasons.
  Because of his many outstanding football achievements, Coach 
Washington was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2015 
and the St. Augustine Hall of Fame in 2017, among many, many other 
honors.
  His success on the football field was matched by his many efforts in 
the community to promote fairness, equity, and justice. Coach 
Washington was a key figure in integrating the Louisiana High School 
Athletic Association.
  While Coach Washington was often quick to downplay his role in 
integrating the league, he did so as a humble man who knew his place, 
but, more importantly, knew that his place was rising above the stars 
and making sure that his players knew that they were just as good, if 
not better, than any other player on the field.
  Coach Washington was a devout Catholic and a 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 Boys Club, founded by Father 
Nelson Ziter in 1947.
  He was also a devout husband to his wife of 52 years, Linda Patterson 
Washington of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, whom he met while coaching at St. 
Augustine. He is also survived by his siblings, Carol, Olivia, 
Charlene, Theopolis, Sharon, and Irma; and many godchildren, special 
grandchildren, as well as nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends. They 
will all miss him dearly.
  On a personal note, I knew this amazing man as my ``Uncle Otis.'' He 
was one of my father's childhood best friends growing up in Selma, 
Alabama. Uncle Otis, my dad, Charles Williams, and Ted Washington 
referred to themselves as the ``Four Amigos'' in grammar school, a name 
that stuck with them throughout their lives. These men never forgot the 
lessons that they learned from Father Ziter at the Don Bosco Boys Club 
in Selma. Their love for their hometown of Selma and their commitment 
to service through sports will always be remembered.
  Uncle Otis and Auntie Linda were a constant presence in the lives of 
my twin brothers and myself. I could always count on them for words of 
encouragement and boasts of pride on my many 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 and Auntie Linda.
  Like my dad, Uncle Otis will be missed but never forgotten. The 
legacy that 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 Seventh Congressional District, I ask my 
colleagues to join me in honoring the extraordinary life and legacy of 
Selma's own 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 many men.

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