[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 22 (Thursday, February 2, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S216]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



      Congratulating the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, yesterday the Senate unanimously approved 
my resolution with Senator Rounds formally congratulating the South 
Dakota State University football team on their championship season. And 
what a great season it was for the Jackrabbits. They ended the season 
14 and 1 and never lost a game in their conference. They earned the No. 
1 seed in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. And they 
brought home the FCS National Championship for the first time in 
program history with a 45-to-21 win against the North Dakota State 
Bison last month in Frisco, TX.
  I happened to be on hand for that game. It was an extraordinary game 
and capped off an extraordinary season. I happened to be there for the 
semifinal game against Montana State, which the Jackrabbits won 
decisively. In each of those games, and their games throughout the 
season, they demonstrated on the field not only great skill but just an 
incredible determination, resilience, and a willingness to play 
together as a team, which, really, I think, is what distinguished and 
differentiated their team from many others around the country this 
year. It really was an extraordinary team to watch on both sides of the 
ball. And as someone who has been a fan of sports for a long time, it 
was really exciting to see the success that they had not only 
throughout the course of the season but ultimately capping it off with 
the national championship.
  That championship win was a fitting capstone to coach John 
Stiegelmeirer's 26-season career leading the Jacks. Coach Stig, as he 
is affectionately known, is the heart and soul of Jackrabbit football.
  Like many South Dakotans, he learned his values from his dad. He 
worked on a family farm in Selby, SD. His dad told him: If you work 
hard and be a good person, you will have success. Work hard, be a good 
person, and you will have success.
  I would say Coach Stig has done all three. His determination 
transformed SDSU's football team into what it is today. SDSU became a 
Division 1 program under his leadership, and former Jacks players have 
gone on to careers in the NFL. His calm, patience, and caring set the 
standard for the players and made the team a family.
  He leaves as the winningest coach in SDSU history, the 2022 FCS Coach 
of the Year, and, of course, with a national title for the team that he 
has dedicated his career to making great.
  Huge congratulations to the Jackrabbits on their season and to Coach 
Stig, and we wish you all the best in your retirement. You have earned 
it.