[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 169 (Thursday, October 24, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1341]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. G.K. BUTTERFIELD

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 24, 2019

  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 150th 
anniversary of the first college football game ever played on November 
6, 1869, and to recognize the importance of college football in our 
country today. Since the initial game 150 years ago, more than 5.33 
million Americans have played college football and millions more have 
become devoted fans of the game. Over the past 150 years, college 
football has become woven into the fabric of our society and the lives 
of countless Americans.
  Many Americans have had the joy and privilege to participate in 
college football, including many of our nation's greatest leaders--
representing all different backgrounds--who often cite their 
experiences as college football players as critical factors in their 
development and their long-term success. College football players have 
become U.S. Presidents, Rhodes Scholars, actors, activists, chief 
executives of major businesses, successful entrepreneurs, academics and 
elected officials. The game promotes camaraderie among players which 
has translated into lifelong friendships for so many and has grown 
throughout the years with almost 80,000 student-athletes taking to the 
field every fall.
  In North Carolina's First Congressional District, I represent a 
number of schools across several divisions within the National 
Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA): the Duke University Blue 
Devils, the East Carolina University (ECU) Pirates, the North Carolina 
Central University (NCCU) Eagles, the Chowan University Hawks, and the 
Barton College Bulldogs who will field a team in 2020.
  College football allows us, as participants and spectators, to put 
our differences aside and celebrate a game, that in many ways, embodies 
the spirit of what makes us great as a country--our diversity. It 
brings together a diverse pool of participants with different 
backgrounds, experiences, and creeds. On November 6, 2019, we celebrate 
college football for the stories and memories that it has helped create 
over these last 150 years.
  Madam Speaker, college football is special to so many, and I am 
honored to recognize such a significant milestone and achievement in 
the history of this game.

                          ____________________