[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 194 (Thursday, December 5, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H9260]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF COACH JOHN McKISSICK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
South Carolina (Mr. Cunningham) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of 
longtime Summerville High School football coach, Hall of Famer, John 
McKissick, who passed away on Thanksgiving Day.
  Coach McKissick was the greatest high school football coach our 
country has ever seen. In fact, he held the record for the most wins of 
any football coach anywhere at any single level. Over the course of his 
62-year career, he led the Green Wave to 10 State championships and 621 
wins.
  Coach McKissick was a mentor and a father figure to thousands of 
student athletes. In total, he coached over 5,000 young men throughout 
his career.
  I had the honor of attending his funeral earlier this week, and I got 
to meet several of his former players, many in their fifties, sixties, 
seventies, and even eighties, who all told me about the incredible 
impact he had on their lives.
  He famously told his players that it is not about the Xs and Os; it's 
about the Jims and the Joes. He called his players his boys. He treated 
them like family because they were, and that feeling was mutual.
  It is impossible to imagine high school football or Summerville 
without him, but his amazing legacy will live on forever.
  May God bless his family, his friends, former players, and the entire 
Summerville community.
  Thank you for everything, Coach.

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